


My Pleasure

by Ravenhale



Category: Rosario + Vampire
Genre: Coming of Age, Female Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Slice of Life, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-07-31 20:55:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 35
Words: 364,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20121523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenhale/pseuds/Ravenhale
Summary: This is a slow paced AU rewrite from Kurumu's POV. This story covers the first month of Kurumu's life at Yokai Academy. Not strictly canon, considering the manga has Kurumu in a different class and she was not introduced to Tsukune until about a month after school started. In this condensed timeline the first month consists of the First Season's Chapters 1-10 & 40.





	1. Introduction of a Succubus

This was a complete waste of time.

Kurumu winced at the pain in her side. For more than four years her body had ached from this hunger. It was steadily getting worse, demanding more to fill this void.

Her mother had told her that all she needed to do was win the affection of her peers. Well aware of how her mother handled men of all species, Kurumu knew what sort of things her mother expected. She refused to demean herself.

That first year had been confusing. The pain would come and go, though she did nothing differently. Her body was maturing, but it was nothing to brag about since most of her classmates were also at that awkward age. She was content to remain in the background, despite her mother's warnings.

It was shortly after her thirteenth birthday in junior high that this nagging pain would not diminish. At first she had thought it merely growing pains, considering how her wings, tail and breasts all seemed desperate to grow out as much as they possibly could in three months. It had been futile to even try to wear a bra with how sore her breasts were all the time and how nothing that fit one week would work the next.

It felt like all the girls hated her. They would whisper or stop talking whenever she entered a room, though she would catch snippets now and then. She had always known her kind was not very respected and being the only one on campus only made things worse. They were all waiting to condemn her the moment she showed her true colors.

And then it started to happen. The hunger felt like it diminished, replaced by a heavy weariness. Her steps faltered as she had moved in the hallways, her vision becoming a dim haze of colors and shapes. Her mother had been called in after the first collapse. Kurumu finally understood why she could not rebel against her nature.

It had been difficult to swallow down her pride in the face of inevitable death. Frightened the other girls would only treat her worse, Kurumu had initially approached the boys lowest on the social pyramid. These were the sort of guys that would be lucky a pretty girl would even look at them, let alone say anything.

Kurumu could not hope to describe the satisfaction of her first conquests. All she had done was simply talk to them and that insatiable ache of her body subsided. But like a man starved, she could not stop at the first taste of food. She kept talking with them, every day, yet somehow it never destroyed that void.

As expected, the girls talked about her using those boys. It was maddening as Kurumu could not fathom what they had expected her to do. It felt like they wanted her to die painfully. If they hated her that much, there was no point even listening to them.

So Kurumu had declared war the only way she knew how. She charmed the most popular boy in junior high using every trick she had ever seen her mother utilize.

Her mother had explained the simplicity of allure. All Kurumu had to do was look into a man's eyes and think how much he wanted her. The more she believed it, the stronger her control over him would become. Even the most powerful of demons could succumb to her charms.

It had been a dangerous game to play with a Tengu. But for some reason, even under her spell spouting platitudes of undying love for her, the hunger never left her. Takada had been the most powerful and popular boy in school, but his ensorcelled love for her failed to rid her of this incessant ache deep in the core of her being.

Feeling dirty, Kurumu had spent the last half of her eighth grade year trying to win over the heart of every boy in the school. If Takada was not enough, then she reasoned she needed more. By her fifteenth birthday, there was not a single boy she knew of that had not confessed his love for her.

The victory remained hollow.

Perhaps her failing confidence released him. Perhaps he had never truly been under her control. Regardless of how it happened, Takada pulled her aside one day and told her that she would never find what she needed in this realm. Apparently only a human could ever fill the void she felt. And with a wistful smile, Takada apologized for not being able to do more for her. Kurumu had lacked the heart to ever talk with him again.

She did manage to find the fury to exchange some heated words with her mother over this. She angrily demanded to know why she was not in a human school, instead of wasting her time with all these boys that could not sate this hunger. Her mother went on and on about how dangerous humans were and how she was not prepared to deal with human society. Kurumu was furious that she would have to put up with this ache for three more years and it was even worse now since she knew any guy she met would have no hope of giving her what she needed.

She hated her life.

Her mother was ridiculously pleased to send her off to Yokai Academy. As her alma mater, her mother had talked highly about the place for over a year, so it was not like her enrollment here had been a surprise. Despite assurances that she could be the most popular girl at school, Kurumu had held no such aspirations. She would do what she would have to do to survive. If that required a few admirers, so be it. She would not repeat her antics from junior high, hoping that all of her classmates would continue their education in Sankei High, the recognized prefectural school of Tottori.

When reading the student manual, she noted the school strongly encouraged remaining in a human-like appearance. This was not too difficult, though it did require some thought. Kurumu had never held up such an image for so long, so she had practiced over the break. School or not, she knew she had to learn this if she ever could hope to win over the affections of a human.

Lost in her thoughts, Kurumu apparently had found her way to the row of doors that marked the entrance to the school grounds. There was nothing too special about this place. It was bigger than her junior high, but similar. It resembled an expansive estate, sweeping out in all directions. At least it was more impressive than the drab buildings that served as dormitories.

"Hey, gorgeous, what class are you in?"

Kurumu smirked at how easy it was to find a meal around here. Gripping her schoolbag handle with both hands, she glanced over her shoulder at her admirer.

He was an interesting boy with fine, black hair. His eyes were narrow with a crimson iris. His broad nose had a stud pierced through his left nostril and his left ear was dotted with three garnet studs.

"Class 1-3."

His grin became feral. He held his schoolbag back over his shoulder by a single hand, his broad wrist bared to her. Like her, he had decided not to wear the cumbersome, long sleeved jacket with the school logo. He had rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt while tucking it into his black slacks.

"Then we are classmates. The name is Burumoto Ushio."

Without meaning to, she thought how much this guy obviously wanted her. She saw his eyes glaze over and cursed inwardly. Averting her gaze, she turned fully to him, holding her bag daintily in front of her short, pleated skirt.

"I am Kurono Kurumu. Perhaps we can sit by each other then."

"Yes. That would be nice."

It was not like she made him say that. People under her charm usually spoke the truth, or at least what was on their mind. There was always this misconception that she could make guys do things they did not want to do, but that could not be farther from the truth. She could make a man love her if she really believed he did, but she could not make him harm someone else. Well, maybe she could. She doubted it.

Burumoto laughed heartily, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry, I spaced out there a bit. Shall I walk you to class?"

Kurumu smiled, careful not to meet his gaze. She did bother to study his body though. He was a very thick fellow, perhaps indicating he was rather large. He looked powerful. Her first thought was he might be an ogre of sorts.

"Sure."

It felt so good to walk beside him into the building. The breaks between semesters were always distressing. For whatever reason, her mother lived like a hermit in the spiritual realm. Things had been so much different in the human realm, which they had to abandon once her tail had emerged in the fourth grade. The only souls she would see for weeks were the servants her mother had brought over from the human realm. Kurumu would rather die than resort to seeking the attention of some middle aged men.

She had asked about her kind but her mother was always evasive. Kurumu had never seen another succubus. She had heard she was a dying breed, but had no knowledge as to why. Even when she had pressed the issue of needing a human, the only thing she had been told was that if she kissed one, they would become her thrall and would do anything she wanted them to do. She had been too angry with that to discuss the topic further.

None of the servants were her father. She did know that. It was a constant source of bickering as she believed it was her mother's promiscuity that had driven her father off. She often wondered what her life would have been like if he had stayed. He probably was a real good man, which would explain why he would abandon that worthless sack of flesh she called a mother.

"You don't have to be shy. Ask me anything you want."

Kurumu smiled demurely. His interest in her was very satisfying.

"I can't help it. You did call me gorgeous."

"Because you are."

As nice as this felt, she knew she had enjoyed better. Of course, there was no real reason to seek out someone else. Being in the same homeroom meant they would spend most the day together, so he could keep her sated. Having a second admirer in class might not hurt, but she would wait to see if she needed that.

"I'm going to sit in the back of the class if I can."

"Oh?"

"Do you know anybody in class?"

"Doubtful. I know a few in some of the other classes, but I think they intentionally mix us up so that we won't readily know the true form of our classmates."

"I guess that makes it fair for those that don't have any friends."

"A pretty girl like you must have some friends here."

Kurumu smiled, aware that the compliment was not nearly as genuine as it sounded.

"No, I'm all by myself here. I wasn't very popular with the girls."

"I wonder why."

Kurumu tried not to smirk.

"I can think of at least two reasons."

"Jealousy being one of them?"

Kurumu left it at that, figuring any references to her body at this point might damage the image she wished to maintain here. She noted how few students were in the halls, though she had intentionally come early to ensure her seat in class. While sitting in the middle would certainly increase her potential admirers, she did not want to stir up any trouble.

"You come to class early?"

"Normally, no. But my mother says it is best to make a good first impression."

"If you had to guess, what would you say I am?"

He grinned wickedly as they neared their classroom. He drew back the door and gestured for her to go ahead.

“Gorgeous. Beautiful. Coy.”

“I meant what kind of monster.”

"We are not encouraged to talk of these things."

"I wonder why not."

"Perhaps to limit bullying. If people knew the popular guy was only a kappa, they may not care for him anymore. That sort of thing."

Kurumu nodded as she made her way to what she hoped would be her desk. She picked the seat in the back next to the one nearest the window. This way she could have a boy on either side of her. She set her bag down on the smooth surface.

"You want to sit in front or beside me?"

"Beside."

He smirked as he set his things down in the seat of the desk next to her. She almost met his gaze again, but deftly closed them with a smile and a slight turn of her head.

"You have very pretty eyes."

"Every guy says that."

"You've heard that a lot then?"

"I don't mean to. It just happens."

She smiled apologetically, taking her seat. She pulled out a notebook and mechanical pencil from her bag before setting it aside at her feet.

"I guess we're the first ones in class. We're not that early."

"Eh, twenty minutes is. But I say it was worth it, considering I just secured the best view in class for the whole semester."

Even though the words were not genuine, Kurumu blushed at his bluntness. It was going to be so hard keeping this innocent image.

* * *

She should have been used to this sort of attention by now. Every new face that walked into class carried this unmistakable lust that slaked the thirst deep inside her. It was so much worse than junior high as she was not even trying to make an impression. These boys needed to find something better to do with their spare time.

She supposed it could not be helped. Even in her true form her body was built for seduction. Squeezing it down into this smaller human package resulted in a ridiculously burdensome bosom. For some silly reason boys were fascinated with breasts. To Kurumu, they were as much a bane as a blessing. While they did their job in gathering her up all sorts of attention, they also were the first extremities to notoriously ache when she needed a fix.

So far it seemed like an even distribution of students. As anticipated, most of the girls sat up in the front. Kurumu measured several of them up as they entered, aware that they were doing the same to her. Satisfied that she was their superior in looks, she would return her bored gaze to her notebook and fidget with her pencil.

She did not have to even look up for a boy. She could feel them enter and she only bothered to note them if the sensation was strong. One kid had long brown locks and tanned skin. He had stalked right up to her, taking the seat in front of her. As he was not terrible looking, she did not protest.

The class was nearly full up when the teacher walked in. The blonde had a nice look with some roguish locks on the side of her head that almost looked like cat ears. As the scraggly locks were quite thick on the side of her head, it was quite possible that those were her ears. So much for the creed of maintaining a human form.

Disregarding that, the woman wore an orange top beneath a short sleeved, white blouse. The thin orange material was tucked into the hem of a burgundy hued pant with a slim belt fed through the tiny loops. A chrome buckle in the shape of the school crest was perfectly centered at her waist.

“Hey, Burumoto?”

“Hmm?”

“What do people do for fun around here?”

The boy in front of her turned about, gripping the back of his chair. He snickered at her, his long tongue snaking out to touch the top of her desk. Kurumu tried not to visibly draw away.

“I could think of many fun things to do with you.”

This was a boy she had no qualms charming. She smirked as she looked into his beady, black eyes. There was no color at all, not even white in them.

“I’m sure you do.”

His eyes went distant.

“Yes. What would you like?”

Giggling, she glanced over to Burumoto.

“And here I was asking for ideas.”

“We are all new here, so I have as much of an idea as you do. There’s a lot of clubs on campus and I know my floor talked about a human run.”

“A human run?”

“Some of the kids run out into the human realm and see what sort of mischief they can do. You only have so much time, considering getting caught by the staff could have severe repercussions.”

The boy in front of her chuckled with glee, clearly recovered from his daze.

“Sounds like fun. Would a pretty thing like you be interested?”

Kurumu smiled at the thought of venturing into the human realm. As tempting as the thought was, she disliked the notion of being caught and that she would only be there for so long. Such narrow time restraints were more in tune with causing trouble.

“I may have to pass on that. And you are?”

“Saizou. Komiya Saizou.”

“I am Kurono, and this is my friend, Burumoto.”

“A boyfriend?”

Kurumu smirked, idly turning the pages of her notebook.

“We all are new here, so you know that isn’t true.”

“Your words wound me.”

“Aw… but you have to be my friend first if you ever want to be more than that.”

“I can accept that.”

“You don’t have to be friends to do what I have in mind. You know where to find me, babe, if you want a good time.”

Saizou chuckled as he turned back around in his seat. Despite his crude behavior, he had a flavor about him that pleased her. Sort of like how mashed potatoes could blend in well with most meals. On its own, it had the potential of being fulfilling but it usually worked better as a compliment to the main course.

“Attention, now, everybody. My name is Ms. Nekonome. I think now is the best time to remind everyone about the rules here.”

Several groans answered the teacher’s remarks. Kurumu glanced over to the empty desk beside her that faced the window. While it held nothing of interest, she suddenly realized there was a young man sitting in the desk in front of the vacancy. She wondered why she had not noticed him before.

She quickly noted this waif of a boy had nobody in front of him either, making him isolated from the group. He did look the part of the solitary loser type. She smiled wistfully at him, wondering if he would be a better source of affection. Burumoto seemed the type that would make friends.

“Here at Yokai, we are charged with the task of giving you the education and skills you need to survive in the human realm. This is no laughing matter. Many of you require human interaction, albeit sometimes to a human’s disadvantage. Still, in order for you to function, you must know how to be human else you will be destroyed.”

Ms. Nekonome seized a slender pointer that had rested upon the podium at the front of the class. She tapped one of the desks in the front row to accentuate her point.

“That is the simple truth of it. If the humans do not kill you first, the lords of our realm will certainly make sure that you are dealt with. It must never be known that our kind exists among them.”

Inexplicably, the woman giggled.

“So, I insist that every student here maintain their human form, even in your dorms. The more practice you have, the better you will coexist. The school also discourages students from sharing their true forms with each other. You must treat each other as humans would. Consider this practice.”

“Why bother? It’s not like some of us want to coexist with the humans. I hear that they are very tasty.”

Kurumu felt the oddest sensation from that slender boy. It was almost like he was worried over Saizou’s remark. She wondered if he was some sort of witch. Actually, that would explain why he would readily isolate himself.

The dabblers of the magical arts were a strange hybrid. In many respects, they were human. But witches possessed a natural ability to tap into the weave of creation and bend it to their own desires. Sorcery was not highly admired in the spiritual realm as it bordered upon blasphemy of the natural order of things.

In a matter of seconds, Kurumu decided that she wanted him. She had never had a witch before. It would be so much like having a human. Just toying with the thought caused the ache of her body to become more pronounced. She only needed the opportunity to introduce herself. From there he would either naturally yield to her charms, or she would help convince him.

“We can’t go eating humans simply whenever we please. Unless of course one happened to find its way onto campus. We could not allow someone to run back to the human realm with evidence of our existence, now could we?”

The thin kid made such an odd squeal that many in the class glanced in his direction. There was nothing too special about him. His dark, short hair was well kept. He wore that long green jacket like most of the other students were.

Now that Kurumu thought about it, she was the only girl in class wearing the beige, sleeveless sweater vest over the traditional dress shirt. Did the other girls not realize those heavy jackets did nothing to accentuate their assets? And wearing skirts only catered to those that liked skirts. Kurumu was very aware that a nice, hugging pair of slacks could do so much more than a skirt in the ways of seduction. Unfortunately for her, pants proved too baggy around the waist.

“I swear I smell a human in here.”

The door drew back dramatically as a pink haired girl nearly spilled into the room. The girl was heaving deep breaths as she clutched at her knees, likely giving quite the show to anyone still in the hall. Her fine tresses hung over her shoulders like wisps of silk.

“Oh my. Who might you be?”

The girl stood up and smiled brightly. Her eyes were a lovely blue and her skin was somewhat pale. Even with the jacket, Kurumu spied the swell of an ample bosom. She could feel the attention and desire drift off. Even Burumoto’s source was momentarily cut off.

“I am Akashiya Moka. I’m sorry I’m so late.”

“Moka?!”

The slender kid stood up, his face betraying astonishment.

The pink haired girl brightened immediately at the site of him.

“Tsukune! I’m so happy we are in the same class!”

Without any real warning, the girl bounded across the room to leap up against the boy. It sent both of them sprawling to the floor, his chair sliding back against the vacant desk behind him. The girl giggled and laughed, hugging him brazenly with her arms about his chest and her skirt in such disarray that every male in the class could see those lacy, pink panties.

Saizou’s tongue hung out in envy.

“Ms. Akashiya. Ms. Akashiya! Please compose yourself!”

Kurumu grimaced as the pain in her side sharpened like a knife. In this moment nobody acknowledged her existence. Wincing in shock, she crumpled over the top of her desk. It was not unbearable as much as unexpected, but she hoped her dramatization would draw some attention from this hussy’s public display of affection.

But nobody noticed her. It was a solid couple minutes before the bimbo finally extracted herself from the boy and took a seat next to her.

“Hey, are you alright?”

It was like she was mocking her with those words. But it tasted sweet, even if it was annoying. It was confusing and out of place. No girl had ever poured out any such emotion towards her before. She had no idea how to digest such a thing.

Sitting up, Kurumu turned her head away from the girl.

“I’m fine.”

She was probably some sort of nature sprite, like an undine. Kurumu heard they could be very carefree.

“I’m Akashiya Moka.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes. She was definitely taking that boy from this ditz.

“I know your name. I was listening.”

“Oh, but I didn’t catch yours.”

“Girls, girls. We have no time for gossip right now. It is time to begin the lesson.”

Ignoring this Akashiya girl, Kurumu clicked the end of her mechanical pencil and prepared to take notes.

* * *

The bell sounded out the last of the hour. Ms. Nekonome squeaked in delight, one arm up daintily bent at the wrist with her hand in a small fist. As expected, their homeroom teacher was also their last teacher of the day.

“One last order of business before we leave.”

Several groans answered the teacher, but she smiled all the same.

“I must know if anyone has an interest in being the class representative. According to the registrations, the only one that expressed any interest at all was a…”

The teacher glanced down at her notebook.

“Nazohashi?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

A girl with short, raven hair stood up stiffly at the far corner of the room, nearest the door. Her locks were braided from the front along the sides such that she had no bangs and her small ears were well defined. Her hair tapered in the back to a delicate point at the nape of her neck.

“Nazohashi Tora. Is there anyone else interested in challenging her for this duty?”

Saizou snickered.

“If the girl wants it, she can have it.”

Most of the boys laughed at his remark, but none spoke out against the girl having the role.

“Okay, quiet down. It would seem the task is yours, Ms. Nazohashi.”

The girl bowed stiffly.

“Thank you, Ma’am.”

“Now if I may, would both you, Ms. Kurono and Ms. Shirayuki join me in the teacher’s lounge?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Kurumu frowned, favoring Burumoto with a genuine confused look. He only offered a shrug while the teacher pranced out of the room with her things in hand.

“Stand.”

That Nazohashi girl was quick to take charge. Reluctantly Kurumu stood up, noting that most of the class was mildly protesting the formality while yielding to it.

“Bow. Dismissed.”

Kurumu gathered up her things, still confused as to why she and this other girl were being singled out. She had been so cautious the entire day. Instead of seeking out attention from other boys, she had accepted Burumoto’s offer to join him for lunch. She imagined the offer had something to do with how clingy that Akashiya girl was with that other boy. Still, it was genuine interest in her and diminished the pain.

There was nothing she could think of that would warrant this summons. If anyone was to be accused of seducing strangers, it would be that Akashiya harlot. Clearly she had done something to start a relationship so fast with a complete stranger.

Unless for some strange reason the two knew each other. That went against what Burumoto had told her and she could think of no reason why he would lie to her. No, that girl clearly was doing something against the rules.

“You want me to wait up for you? I can walk you to your dorm.”

Burumoto was planning to join the soccer team. They had spent most of the lunch hour talking about what sort of clubs they would join. Kurumu honestly had no idea what she should do, but was content to let him ramble on and on about his intentions for the school year. She smiled at the thought of his suggestion of joining a cheerleading squad, figuring he only wanted to see how she looked in a skimpy outfit.

“I should be fine. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Till then.”

He grinned, slinging his bag over his shoulder much like he had this morning. With a casual gait, he started off for the back door to the class.

They were doing it again. That hussy was clinging to that boy’s arm seemingly oblivious to the glares the other boys shot at them. Kurumu shook her head at how idiotic that girl was behaving, as it was only going to cause trouble for that kid. Even after the two left, the boys continued to simmer with jealousy.

“I don’t get it. What’s a hot babe like that doing with him?”

Kurumu shrugged at Saizou’s remark. She held her bag by the handle with both hands out in front of her. She started down the aisle, her thighs bumping against the bag.

“She’s probably going to eat him. That’s my guess.”

“You think so? I might enjoy seeing that.”

Kurumu smirked, knowing that was always a possibility, even if devouring fellow students was frowned upon. She stalked over to the front of the class to join Nazohashi. The girl was only a hair taller than her, though that might simply be due to her rigid posture. She had very exotic, jade green eyes. The girl nodded slightly, glancing about for this Shirayuki.

Nazohashi said nothing as the class steadily emptied. Thin, long fingers were closed about the handle of her bag that she held at her hip. Her other hand rested on the desktop. She was an average looking girl in all regards, though her skin had the same ruddy hue that Saizou possessed.

Nazohashi frowned as the last of the students departed. With a confused look, she regarded Kurumu.

“Which one are you?”

Her voice was pleasant, rich and assertive.

“Kurono. Kurono Kurumu.”

“Do you know this Ms. Shirayuki?”

Kurumu shook her head, her ponytail brushing slightly against the back of her narrow shoulders. Nazohashi sighed heavily.

“I guess we will have to go without her. Follow me.”

Kurumu was relieved that this girl knew where they were going, as she had no idea where the faculty offices were. Due to her mother’s procrastination, she had not arrived in the dorms till last morning, missing the welcoming ceremony that had been scheduled for Saturday afternoon. Kurumu had bothered to figure out her class and room schedule, but little else.

“Ms. Nazohashi?”

“Yes?”

“Why did you want to be the class representative?”

“Because I want something to do.”

“Something to do?”

“Idle hands are for the devil’s work.”

“You could always join a club.”

“I’ve never enjoyed the group setting. As a class representative, I get to assign chores, work with the student council and do what needs to be done to help our class run smoothly.”

“Isn’t that the same as a club?”

“Most clubs you will be nothing but a mindless follower. I don’t enjoy taking orders from others without good reason to.”

Kurumu frowned. As they descended the nearest staircase in the direction of the front mansion, she had to wonder what Nazohashi’s true form was.

“And you, Ms. Kurono? What sort of things do you plan to do with your spare time?”

“Study, I guess. I was never in a club in junior high, so I don’t really have any such aspirations here.”

“Hmm… so you must be a delinquent. That explains this.”

Kurumu gaped in disbelief. She had half a mind to whack that snot nosed girl with her bag, though it would only confirm the assessment.

“I haven’t done anything wrong. I have no idea why she wants to talk to me.”

“Oh, please. A pretty girl like you is not known as the type for studying. You were even sitting in the back row.”

“Because the boys are more likely to gawk at me in the front.”

“At least they would be facing the right direction.”

Kurumu grimaced, glancing to the black trim that ringed the wall along the floor. She was quite aware that Nazohashi was correct about that, though Kurumu felt that the Akashiya tramp was more blatantly a distraction.

“Just because I don’t have a club in mind does not mean I’m causing trouble. And sitting in the back does not make me a delinquent.”

“A man and his son are going home for the holidays.”

“Huh?”

“Due to road conditions, the man loses control of his vehicle and drives them both into a tree. The man dies instantly in the crash, but his son survives. An ambulance quickly arrives on the scene to ferry the dying boy to the nearest hospital.”

“Is there a point to this?”

“Once in the operating room, the surgeon recognizes the boy and leaves the room immediately. When asked what was wrong, the surgeon answers in a shaky voice, ‘That is my son. I cannot operate on him.’ So, can you tell me who the surgeon is?”

Kurumu frowned at the odd question. She wondered if this was some odd sort of test. Obviously the surgeon was not the boy’s father since the first phrase was a man and his son. Then again, it did not say biological son.

“I get it! It’s the boy’s father!”

The astonished look Nazohashi favored her was satisfying.

“I’m right. The man driving the car was obviously the boy’s stepfather.”

“Uh… no, that was his father.”

“Oh… the surgeon is his stepfather?”

Nazohashi stopped in the grand foyer, obviously flustered.

“No, no, no! There was no divorce in this situation!”

Kurumu shrugged, feeling stupid till an idea surfaced.

“Ah, I know. This is one of those modern marriages between two men.”

Nazohashi stared at her blankly. Shaking her head, the girl resumed her walk across the foyer.

“We’re almost there.”

“Hey, wait up. What was the answer?”

“You managed to ruin a totally good riddle.”

“What?”

“I guess I should blame modern society. Humans are becoming more and more like monsters every day.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I am not interested in explaining that.”

Nazohashi paused before a doorway and slid it open. She walked into the large room with a simple gesture to follow.

Kurumu quickly noted the many desks and chairs scattered about the room. While the place seemed disorganized, there was not much clutter to complain about. Then again, this was the start of the school year.

She recognized Ms. Kagome whom was in charge of their mathematics along with some others she had seen this day. The woman was talking to some brute of a man whom Burumoto had identified as the gym teacher and coach of the soccer team. Being the first day, the gym hour had been skipped to allow an early dismissal. Kurumu wished they had also skipped the bespectacled woman’s class, since math was not her strongest subject.

“I brought Ms. Kurono as instructed, Ma’am.”

Their homeroom teacher was poised on a swivel chair, her feet daintily touching one of the spokes at the base. She seemed unaware that a ropy, furred tail was wrapped about the post that connected the back of the chair to the cushioned seat. Ms. Nekonome set the notebook aside and pouted.

“And what of Ms. Shirayuki?”

“She either left or was absent this day.”

The teacher favored them with a dramatic sigh.

“I suppose it can’t be helped. So… you are Kurono Kurumu.”

Kurumu stiffened up and bowed deeply to the teacher, lacking the imagination to do anything else. She shuddered at the sensation of sudden interest flooding into her core, but she dared not move. Apparently some teachers enjoyed these short skirts too much.

“Yes, Ms. Nekonome. I am sorry if I have done something.”

“Oh, no, no, child, this is nothing like that.”

The teacher giggled and clapped her small hands twice.

“Up, up, Ms. Kurono. I only wanted to see the daughter of a friend.”

While she was relieved with the permission to straighten, Kurumu frowned at the remark. She noted that odd grin again. The teacher seemed to have this odd habit of closing her eyes whenever she smiled.

“Daughter?”

“Yes. I was in the same class as Ageha and Tsurara.”

“Oh.”

Kurumu flushed, throwing a frown at her guide. Nazohashi merely shrugged.

“So how is your mother? Still popular with the guys?”

Kurumu groaned.

“I’d rather not talk about her.”

“Well… if you do speak or write to her, mention me. I’m sure she would be interested to know one of her friends is your homeroom teacher.”

“I guess I could.”

“Oooo, you’re so adorable just like she was. I absolutely love that lacy ribbon in your hair. It really suits you.”

“Um… thanks.”

“Ms. Nekonome? Was that all you needed me to do?”

“Oh, no, no, Ms. Nazohashi. I want you to keep those two girls out of trouble.”

Kurumu bristled at the remark.

“What?!”

“Yokai Academy has always been a dangerous place for young spirits still trying to figure out their place in this world. I would feel terrible if something happened to one of the daughters of my friends while under my tutelage.”

“What exactly are you wanting me to do?”

“Simply keep an eye on them and let me know if they need any help.”

“What of Mr. Komiya?”

Ms. Nekonome frowned.

“What of him?”

“I saw him at lunch today, bullying that kid with Ms. Akashiya. He threw him pretty hard.”

Kurumu perked up at this information.

“I will speak to him about it.”

“Ma’am, if the purpose is for us to learn integration into human society, I would say Mr. Komiya deserves suspension for his actions. He clearly acted in a manner unbefitting of a human.”

The teacher sighed.

“It is only the first day of school. It is normal to expect some to take some time adjusting to the rules. It grieves me to say this, but the freshmen fatality ratio is always the highest.”

This clearly agitated Nazohashi.

“But… we are forbidden to kill each other!”

“Sadly, if one can get away with murder, it is treated as a mere misfortune. The school only allows a week of investigation into such things and dismisses it after that point. While human integration is our aim, the school also recognizes that some students by their nature will bring harm to humans. If they can do so without being caught, then they have proven their ability to coexist.”

Kurumu shuddered at the thought. This was very different from junior high.

“But I… I really think… Komiya… expelled.”

“Ms. Nazohashi. The faculty is strongly discouraged from investigating into the true forms of our students. I have no idea what I would be dealing with when I approach Mr. Komiya about his transgression.”

“Hey! If you know my mother, then you know mine!”

The teacher grinned.

“Yes, yes. I specifically requested you and Ms. Shirayuki to be in my class because of that reason.”

“Are you saying you are afraid of Komiya?”

“Well… yes, Ms. Nazohashi. I know looks can be deceiving, but I am merely a Nekomusume.”

Kurumu gawked. There was nothing deceiving at all, as it had been outright obvious from her very introduction as to what she was.

“I’m sure you could bring another teacher if that is your concern.”

“But I can’t do that. Then it would be obvious that I can’t hold my own.”

Nazohashi sighed.

“I suppose I could talk to him before class starts tomorrow.”

“Oh, that would be such a responsible thing to do, Ms. Nazohashi! I’m so glad you agreed to be our class representative.”

“Y-yeah…”

“And make sure this one doesn’t start any fights with Ms. Shirayuki.”

Kurumu soured.

“Why would I start a fight with a girl I haven’t even met yet?”

“If you two are anything like your mothers, you’ll be at each other’s throats in no time.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“I’m nothing like my mother.”

“So says every girl at your age.”

“Actually, I’m very much like my mother.”

“Oh… you didn’t have to contradict me so quickly.”

Nazohashi laughed. It was the first time Kurumu had seen the girl smile and it looked good on her.

“If it isn’t a bother, would you check in on Ms. Shirayuki?”

“Who, me? Certainly Ma’am.”

“You should go with her, Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu smiled apologetically and bowed politely.

“I think I shall pass on this for the time being. If I may be excused?”

“Yes, you may go.”

Kurumu nodded and turned about. She quickly left the room, aware that Nazohashi was likely to follow her. Realizing it would only be rude, she slowed her step. She had no idea what she would talk to the girl about, but it was probably better than walking back to the dorms alone.


	2. Interim of Intrigue

She was so tired.

Despite turning in right after dinner and a shower, blissful sleep had evaded her grasp. Kurumu stumbled out of her private dorm room, yawning grandly as she rubbed her eyes with the back of her wrist. On bare feet, she shuffled down the hall towards the floor's communal showers.

Her overactive mind was the source of her troubles. Even now, she wondered about the nature of that strange boy. But she could not approach him directly. She had to find out why he was with that other girl.

Thinking of girls, Kurumu wondered which floor Nazohashi was on. It had not surprised her that they had walked all the way from the school to their dorm together. All the freshmen girls were kept in the Baratoge residence hall. They had parted ways at the front desk, with Nazohashi asking the housemother for details about Ms. Shirayuki.

That girl was weird. While Kurumu held no claims of being sociable among girls, she had been a little uncomfortable with the silence of their journey. It certainly did not help matters that Kurumu had no idea what she could talk about and that Nazohashi probably thought she was some sort of delinquent that required looking after.

It would be really annoying if they lived on the same floor.

Baratoge was a seven story building with more than twenty tiny apartments squeezed into each floor. The first floor had sizable recreational and laundry rooms, though students had to wander off to the Kurai mess hall for their breakfast and dinners. There was a small alcove for mail for those that had relatives in the human realm. Only the housemother lived on the ground floor, the rest being locked up rooms that were probably for storage.

Absently, Kurumu looked at her tousled hair in the mirror as she held her brush under the spigot. She had once tried to charm herself with her lavender eyes, curious if she could even do it. Her boredom that day had resulted in an investigation in which she had confirmed it impossible to charm anyone with her reflection.

Turning the handle, she wetted the bristles before applying a small dollop of paste. She slowly brushed her teeth as she lifted the side of her flimsy tank top to scratch at her ribs. She had barely noticed one of the straps had slipped off her narrow shoulders, though she doubted the top could come off without effort considering how tightly it clung about her torso.

She had never successfully charmed another girl, though it was not like she had bothered trying it that often. There was this one girl, the name escaped her, whom had made a point of breaking Kurumu’s unattended pencils. She had wasted a whole week trying to bewitch that wench. She chalked her failure up to her own doubts about the girl.

There was a shrill cry as a girl hopped out of the showers. In the mirror, Kurumu glimpsed a foxtail before the girl deftly wrapped a towel about her petite body. Though it was only a second, Kurumu evaluated herself as having the better body.

"What the hell! The water is freezing!"

Kurumu shrugged, resuming her brushing. She doubted she was being addressed as there were other girls at the sinks and taking showers. She had not really noticed this before in her sleepy haze. Nothing like a scream to wake you up in the morning.

"Hey, who was in here last?"

The girl was answered with giggles.

“You should check the water before turning on, silly.”

The girl scowled, muttering something that could not be heard over the many sources of running water. Stepping lightly on the pads of her feet, the girl whimpered and squeaked as she likely made her way to the dials that adjusted the water temperatures.

Kurumu spit into the sink, bending over to capture a gulp of water from the steady stream. She swished the water about her mouth and spit again. Rubbing her mouth with the back of her hand, she rinsed out her bristles before plodding back to her room.

Kurumu owned the sixteenth room on the sixth floor. Once her door was closed, she yanked the tank up over her head and tossed it into the black hamper in the far corner of the room. She opened up her only closet which was next to the hamper, pushing her hung clothes about on the rail.

She contemplated wearing the green jacket for only a moment. As if reminding her, that constant dull ache reared its ugly black head. Disliking the thought of any day being worse than yesterday, Kurumu stuck with the sleeveless sweater and dress shirt ensemble.

Beneath the rail within the closet were three built-in compartments. The top two were drawers while the bottom was simply an open space for shoes. She had nothing that special, mostly sandals and plain loafers. Her mother was so damn stingy that Kurumu didn’t even own a pair of decent heels.

She did not need them, mother would say. Money was tight, she would say. Ignore the fact that her mother had a closet full of shoes and gowns and lovely baubles. Sure, that collection had not increased much since their return to the spiritual realm, but that did not matter. The least her mother could have done was allow her to borrow something.

She pulled her undergarments from the top drawer, which also had all her pajamas, socks and flimsy garments that refused to dangle from a hanger. The middle drawer held her skirts and shorts. Once she had her whole outfit in hand, she shed the rest of her sleepwear into the hamper.

Kurumu dressed quickly before rolling up her futon and stowing it away neatly atop the drawers of her closet. Holding her long socks and shoes in one hand and her school bag in the other, she glanced about her room one last time before locking it up and heading back to the bathroom.

She promptly set the bag down on the counter next to one of the built in bowled sinks. Kurumu twisted the latches and flipped open the cover to retrieve her brush and ribbons. Wincing, she started at the task of detangling her hair. Despite this trouble, she really liked her hair.

As a succubus, Kurumu had little need of cosmetics and perfumes. Her complexion was smooth and flawless and with a thought, could darken to any hue she desired. With the same slight trick of illusion, she could color her lips or blush her cheeks. Her body always had a pleasant scent regardless of her level of physical activity, making perfumes and deodorants a waste of time. If she really wanted to, she could even change her eye color, though she felt they already were the perfect hue of mystery to draw in interest.

But her hair was a different matter. While she could change the color, she could not grow it out on a whim. She had to take special care of it. Setting her black brush down, she tied up her hair with the same lacy ribbon from yesterday. She turned her head side to side, making certain the ponytail was the right height and perfectly centered.

Content, she smiled at her reflection. This would be just a typical morning, of which there were so many more to come. She had only one more stop in here to make before heading to the elevator. Putting her things back in her school bag, she snatched it off the counter and headed to the nearest stall.

She wondered what would be the best way of handling the matter with that strange boy. She kept thinking a direct approach was best, but there was the issue with that pink hussy. From what Kurumu could tell, the girl was clinging to him like a leech. Perhaps, if she was lucky, she could wait around in the brush and see if she could catch him on the way to school before Akashiya. That seemed as good a plan as any.

But even then, Kurumu still had no clue as to what she should say. Her mind kept tumbling between the options of simply charming him outright or seeing if things could develop naturally. It would be great if she did not have to use her allure, as victory would taste all the sweeter.

Still, the conversation eluded her. It was so much easier allowing the guy to do all the talking. Normally she was approached, so all she had to do was follow along. Even when she had first went to the outcast boys, a simple hello had been enough to set their chatter into motion. She had not felt this nervous about approaching a boy since Takada.

It frightened her to think he might not be interested with a simple greeting.

Kurumu chuckled to herself in an attempt to soothe her nerves. She finished up, fixing her attire before departing from the stall. She spied her socks and shoes on the counter, shaking her head over her absent mindedness. Briskly crossing the room, she gathered up all her things before departure.

"Why am I being so stupid? It’s just a conversation. I’ve talked to so many boys before. Besides, after he sees me, there’s a good chance he’ll take over. I’m thinking too hard on this."

But what if she truly had a crush on him?

The silent inquiry slowed her progress down the hall. That was ridiculous. He was going to be a delectable treat, the likes of which she had never experienced. She hated that girl for being an attention whore, so she was going to take that boy from her. That was all. Besides, she did not even know the guy’s name. She was not so naïve to crush on a guy she knew nothing about.

Laughing at her ridiculous worries, Kurumu made her way to the nearest intersecting corridor, which actually was the elevator lobby. She popped the button with a toe, her hands full. While it was not that early in the morning, it looked like she would be riding the elevator down by herself. That was fine by her.

The elevator cars were decent sized, possibly for those students that brought couches or other furniture. Her descent was halted twice on the fourth and second floors as more girls joined her. She did her best to not complain about how lazy it was to ride one floor down in an elevator.

Once on the ground floor, she followed the others, passing the reception desk in route to the large, recessed foyer. All of the other girls hurried off to the standing shelves that lined this area, opening their lockers to retrieve their shoes. Kurumu sat down at the edge of the depression, setting her shoes aside to pull her socks on.

Kurumu did not trust lockers. In junior high some vengeful classmate had decided it would be amusing to fill up Kurumu’s locker to the brim with raw sewage. The thing had reeked so horribly that those with lockers next to hers were equally afraid to retrieve their footwear. Someone had to fetch one of the faculty to take care of the problem, and when it became public knowledge that it was her locker, for some crazy reason she was blamed.

To this day, she still had no idea which of the many teasing girls had been responsible for it. She had cried her eyes out knowing the boys would comfort her and possibly snitch on the culprit. But despite her ulterior motives to put on such a show, she had genuinely cried over it alone in her room. Those tears were from frustration, humiliation, isolation and an inescapable sense that she deserved it.

But that was behind her now. Wiggling her shoes on, Kurumu got to her feet and crossed the foyer to the double doors. She angled her bag slightly so that her student card would be picked up by the monitor. There was an audible click and the doors retreated into the thick walls that flanked the portal. A fan kicked on, blowing a gust of hot air down like a curtain over the exposed entrance.

Kurumu got several paces out of the building before the door started to close. She started along the path that would take her to the Kurai mess hall when she noticed the bikes chained up to the racks next to the paved walk. A red one drew her attention, because it looked so dinged up. She recalled it had been nearly new just the other day.

Kurumu frowned as she neared the bike, hunkering down next to it. She could see the wheel frame was bent, like the owner must have hit something really hard. It must have really sucked to have this happen on the first day of school. It looked too beat up to ride properly and probably had to have been walked back to the dorms.

“Some people are so careless.”

Shaking her head, Kurumu walked off.

* * *

The cafeteria was bustling with activity. With all the chatter going on it was difficult to make any particular conversation out. Not that Kurumu cared to hear gossip that had nothing to do with her.

For some idiotic reason, everyone ate lunch at the same time. The school was too big for such nonsense, as it had taken over a half hour to get her food from the serving line. All she had wanted was a little bit of rice and bread, hardly a meal worth waiting this long for.

Kurumu sighed as she dropped her tray down atop a table that was tucked away in the corner of the expansive chamber. She set her school bag on the bench and took her seat. Deftly breaking apart her sticks, she snatched up her first mouthful.

Definitely not worth the wait.

Why did she need food anyways? There was nothing fascinating about a succubus that had to use the bathroom. She had to wonder what was going through the mind of the creator of all things for it to be decided to construct pleasure demons with such unnecessary components. She envied the spirits and shades that did not have to participate in such mundane activities.

A massive tray with extra portions of … everything slammed heavily down across from her.

“We could sit more out in the open.”

Kurumu shrugged, aware that she already was being favored with enough attention. She continued her meal without pause.

Burumoto sat down heavily, favoring her with a deep frown. He held his utensils up, indecisive.

“You know, you could stand to eat more than that.”

Kurumu had no idea how he could stand to eat so much. With all the assortments of textures and colors, she could not even identify half the things on his palette.

“I had to make sure there would be enough for you.”

“What are you, some sort of finicky bird spirit?”

Kurumu smirked.

“I thought that was against the rules.”

“Come on, try something off my tray. You’ll waste away to nothing eating like that.”

“Oh, I’m sure I could stand to lose a couple pounds here or there.”

“I’d say those pounds are what makes you have a figure, and if you want to keep it that way, you should eat more.”

It was such an odd remark that she had no response for. Kurumu shrugged and tackled the second half of her rice.

“You should eat dinner with me tonight.”

“I think having my eating habits criticized once a day is enough.”

“I said nothing yesterday. It was you that said I was eating like a horse.”

“Nonsense. I don’t even know what a horse eats like.”

“Kurono. You know you want to eat with me.”

Kurumu smirked, realizing that was all she would need to think to get anyone to eat with her. Unfortunately he lacked such charm.

“Don’t you eat with your soccer team?”

“Well, yes. I’m sure they would be interested in meeting you.”

Kurumu sighed dramatically.

“Are you already starting rumors about me?”

His flustered expression was priceless.

“I… uh, no. I told them that I met an interesting girl is all.”

Kurumu smiled softly. She still had no idea what she was going to do with this guy. It would seem wasteful to discard him once she wrested that boy from Akashiya’s grasp. She would cross that bridge later.

Akashiya was probably with that boy right now. They had left the classroom together, almost as if Akashiya was glued to his side. She doubted they were anywhere near the cafeteria, given the amount of desire trickling into Kurumu’s core. Akashiya had a way of stopping that flow outright.

Thinking of flow, Saizou had been acting distant. He had not spoken a word to her as if he had lost all interest in her. Kurumu wondered if Nazohashi had lectured him about harassing other students. It seemed impossible that the guy would calm down so much over a few words. It had her wondering what sort of true form Nazohashi possessed.

Kurumu smirked at the sounds her lunch partner made. He really did eat like a horse. If she could put all that into a bag and hang it from his ears, he probably would be happy. He might not even notice the difference, considering how close he hovered over his food.

With how much food and how little time they had if they hoped to get back to class before the bell, Burumoto aimed to set a record of the most pounds of slop stuffed down a gullet in fifteen minutes. His table manners were atrocious, which was very disappointing with him being so amicable in other regards.

Kurumu sighed, polishing off the last of her rice. She took the biscuit off her tray and gnawed on it. Her thoughts inevitably turned upon that pair. She could not shake this feeling that it had to be unnatural. Akashiya was much too forward for it to be anything genuine.

“There you are.”

Burumoto glanced from his food for only a moment. Noting that the speaker was the class representative, he gave his meal some room to breathe.

“Ms. Nazohashi.”

Nazohashi nodded curtly to him before taking a seat next to him. Her hands were empty, but her attention was solely for Kurumu.

“Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu smiled, setting her biscuit aside.

“Yes?”

“How are you this morning?”

The tone of that seemed way off, having Kurumu confused.

“Um… fine?”

“You wouldn’t know anything about what happened to Mr. Komiya yesterday?”

“Did something happen?”

“Heard he picked a fight with someone and lost badly. He crawled back to the dorms in his true form no less.”

Burumoto grunted at the end of his remark, having not bothered to swallow anything down before making the reply. It was mildly appalling.

“So I heard.”

It was the first Kurumu had heard of this. She favored Burumoto with a disproving look, figuring he could have mentioned something like this to her. He continued with his meal, oblivious.

“So, Ms. Kurono. Do you know anything about it?”

Kurumu frowned.

“Why would I know anything?”

“Well, I did mention in front of you that Mr. Komiya was seen causing trouble with Akashiya and Aono.”

“Who?”

Nazohashi snorted.

“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about that couple you seem to pay so much attention to during class.”

Kurumu flushed. It was nice to know the boy’s name was Aono, but she felt bad if her attention on him had been so blatant. Burumoto’s arched brow demanded some sort of response.

“I… uh… wait! Why are you watching what I am doing in class?”

Nazohashi gestured to her and glanced up, indecisive.

“I only noticed a pattern. I was not watching you the whole time.”

Kurumu favored the girl with a petulant look. The girl should have had some common sense before blabbing about her attention on another guy when she was sitting here with Burumoto.

“Hey… if this has nothing to do with me… you two won’t mind if I finish my meal?”

Nazohashi glanced over at the tray, slightly astonished.

“Is that what that is?”

Kurumu smirked, doubting he had slowed that much because of the conversation. Shaking her head, she seized up her biscuit and took a large bite.

“Hey, we were still talking!”

Kurumu nodded at the girl’s protest, her mouth closed as he chewed.

“How can we talk if you are eating?”

Kurumu shrugged, deliberately taking another bite.

“Look, I heard from a reliable source, that Akashiya and Aono were fighting. Komiya went after them. The next report on Komiya is when he shows up all battered from a fight.”

Kurumu swallowed down what was left of her meal. It was intriguing that the odd couple had been fighting. She wondered if Akashiya was the jealous type and had thought Aono was staring at other girls. Maybe he had been staring at her. At times it could be difficult to single out the source of attention, so there was no need to rule out the possibility. She grabbed up her can of cranberry juice, popping the top and taking down a swig.

“They seem to still be a couple.”

Nazohashi nodded.

“Yes, well… Akashiya and Aono were seen together holding hands. They returned an hour or so before Komiya did.”

Kurumu shrugged. There was nothing explicitly linking the two sets of circumstances as related.

“Is there a point to this?”

“I’m saying… Aono probably beat Mr. Komiya up. I can’t confirm this, since Komiya refused to speak with me about it, but I could see why he might feel a bit humiliated to lose to a scrawny kid like that.”

Burumoto snorted.

“Considering he was a monstrel. Tough creatures. Wouldn’t knowingly get in a fight with one.”

“A monstrel?”

“Yea.”

“What sort of monstrel?”

“A big one. We’ve all seen his serpentine tongue, but he had a wolf like head and the body of an ogre. Nasty looking thing.”

Kurumu smirked.

“So the man with the big appetite can’t fight a monstrel?”

“Can’t and wouldn’t are two very different things.”

Nazohashi cleared her throat.

“So… my point was to see if you knew anything about it.”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head with disbelief.

“You’re not very good at reading people, are you? I had no idea about any of this till you told me.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“You could always be playing dumb on purpose.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“The only thing I could offer was something I told Saizou yesterday. I told him Akashiya was probably going to eat that boy. Saizou said he would like to see that happen. After that I was with you till I got back to the dorms.”

The class representative mulled things over, rapping her fingertips on the top of the table. She sighed heavily.

“I guess if Mr. Komiya stays out of trouble from here on out it should not be a problem. Which floor are you on?”

“Huh? Sixth.”

Nazohashi nodded, her expression blank.

“Good. She’s yours then.”

“What?”

“Ms. Shirayuki.”

“What about her?”

“You’re both on the same floor. I am putting you in charge of her.”

Kurumu grimaced.

“What do you mean by that? Weren’t you supposed to be looking after her?”

Nazohashi shrugged.

“I have no idea what Ms. Nekonome expects me to do. Besides, I live on the second floor. There’s no reason for me to go up to six if that girl keeps missing class.”

Burumoto looked up from his meal, having made quite a significant dent into his portions.

“We have a girl that’s missing class?”

Kurumu also frowned at this remark. She had naturally assumed the girl had ignored the request. Vagrancy was unlikely to be tolerated long.

“You mean she didn’t just ditch us?”

“If you failed to notice, I went around at the start of class today taking names so I could give a proper seating arrangement to Ms. Nekonome. There wasn’t a Shirayuki in class today.”

“Why were you doing that anyways? It was obvious that Ms. Nekonome had something since she was able to identify Saizou pretty quick.”

“Um… hello, we picked our own seats. That notebook you saw yesterday was probably a collection of dossiers. She had his picture.”

“But she told us she had no idea what our true forms are.”

“I only saw his picture in there. I don’t know how much information she has about us or if she flat out lied to us. You need to keep your eyes and ears open, Ms. Kurono.”

Burumoto pounded both his fists against the table.

“You know what. I think you need to keep your nose clean and act like a good class rep. My mother always told me nothing good ever came from sticking your neck too far out.”

“If there’s trouble in the class, I need to know about it.”

Burumoto snorted.

“There’s no need to stir some up. I’m assuming you’re done.”

Kurumu noted he was gesturing to her tray. She nodded.

“I’m thinking I don’t have the time to finish all this. A shame. It was tasting so good too.”

He picked up his tray and got to his feet. Slipping out of the bench, he turned about and started off for the dumpsters next to the window that took the dishes and trays. The air about him was not very inviting, nor did he give off anything resembling affection.

“What was that all about?”

Nazohashi shook her head as she got up.

“You really pick out some winners for friends, don’t you?”

With a huff, the class representative walked away.

The lunch hour was nearly over. She had science after this and today they would also have to deal with gym before her final hour of the theory of human coexistence with Ms. Nekonome. She figured her first gym class would be interesting. Even in junior high it had been a full meal.

“Thanks for the light lunch.”

* * *

They had a peeper.

For a succubus, it had been so blatantly obvious. None of the other girls noticed, but it had taken less than a minute for Kurumu to find the perfect spot to bask in unbridled desire. It was so strong that she had meekly asked the girl at that spot to trade lockers with her.

The gym hour, itself, had been a mild treat. She partially blamed Akashiya, though there were several other busty girls that could easily draw male attention. It certainly could not be helped when you had an entire freshmen class of girls running about a track in white tees and tight shorts.

His name was Aono. For some reason, simply knowing his name made him more interesting as she stared at him. She knew Ms. Nekonome was mumbling something about human literature but it barely registered. It was the last class of the day and Kurumu was ready to do something.

She had been mildly toying with the idea of charming the truth out of Saizou since lunch. She had to know how powerful Aono was. Her only obstacle would be trying to get the guy alone without drawing the attention of that nosy busybody. If Nazohashi was making such a fuss over her staring at Aono, Kurumu could only begin to imagine the wild accusations that girl might level if she found out about this.

With a glance to Burumoto, she confirmed his attention was on studies. Scooting down to the edge of her seat, she slyly reached out with her foot. It was an awkward attempt, her sole swiping through empty air, as she was not nearly tall enough to do this without obvious effort.

Kurumu glanced about again, hoping none were paying attention. She wiggled off the seat, holding herself up by the desktop as she tried to reach for him again. It was brief, but she did cause Saizou to stiffen. She quickly righted herself in the desk before he glanced over his shoulder.

She caught his gaze and with a simple thought, convinced him that he absolutely had to see her in the chemistry lab storeroom after class. The smirk on his face confirmed success. Kurumu scooted the rest of the way back in her seat, though her hand absently knocked her mechanical pencil off to the side.

Before she could retrieve it, Akashiya had reached over and snagged it up off the floor. The girl smiled sweetly, holding the pencil out.

“You dropped this.”

Several snide remarks on how obvious and pointless that comment was screamed out of every recess of her mind.

“Uh… thanks.”

Kurumu was befuddled by that sweet smile as it came with that sugary, annoying sensation once again. It was sickening, yet unprecedented. She wondered if it was simply because she could not recall a single time that a girl smiled at her. Was that really all this was? This girl was seriously smiling because she got to hand a pencil to her?

For the first time, Kurumu contemplated the possibility that Akashiya was the one being bewitched. With this girl being so daft and innocent, she could easily fall prey to someone that possessed the power to best a monstrel. The thought brought her interest in Aono to a new level, relishing in the prelude to such a worthwhile challenge.

The bell declared the end of the school day.

“Make sure to write down your required reading for the day that I have put on the board. There will be a review quiz on Friday.”

Ms. Nekonome grinned as she pranced out of the room in her usual high spirits. The moment the teacher slipped out of the room, Nazohashi stood up.

“Stand. Bow. Dismissed.”

Kurumu gathered up her things and got to her feet. It seemed Burumoto was heading out without making an offer, which was slightly troubling. Even though she knew she had to turn him down, not getting the offer was a bad sign. She wondered if his withdrawal had something to do with her attention upon Aono. If only Nazohashi had kept her mouth shut.

Slightly ruffled by those thoughts, Kurumu walked down the aisle to the front of the class. She deliberately dragged her fingertips across Saizou’s desk, reminding him in case her charm had not been explicit enough. It would at least prompt him to follow her.

“Hey.”

Kurumu silently groaned as she paused at Nazohashi’s desk.

“Make sure you let Ms. Shirayuki know about the assignment.”

Kurumu nodded, though she had no real intentions to get mixed up in this. She exited the class, turning left down the hallway. There were science labs at the end of this hall which would not be in use.

Not long into the walk she could feel him following. She was more concerned with anyone else following, so she glanced back. Other than Saizou having that cruel sneer about his lips, everyone else was either headed in the other direction or had no interest in her.

After passing the bathrooms, Kurumu stepped into the dark chemistry lab where they had discussed procedures earlier today. She moved about the tables, heading for the back door where the equipment was stored. She grabbed hold of the knob and twisted.

“Oh, shoot.”

She jiggled the knob to no avail, the door securely locked. She probably should have thought about that possibility, but then again, it might not have been a good idea to be alone in such a cramped space. She could feel him enter the room, his desire burning like a torch in the darkness.

“So it’s time for a good time.”

There was a click and her eyes widened. She turned about, noting he had shut the door and locked it. While that did work in the manner of them not being interrupted, she worried over how quickly he set his bag down and approached her. He had this feral, wicked glint in his beady eyes.

Smiling to bolster her confidence, she met his wild gaze.

“Yes, you wanted to tell-“

He was upon her before she could finish her charm. His hands hit her shoulders so hard that she lifted up from the floor for an instant before he had her back pressed against the storage room door. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her. Her schoolbag clattered to the floor beneath her. His hot breath tickled her neck as he closed in.

“Wait! Saizou, wait!”

He was too strong and she could not get a grip on him. She whimpered as he pressed hot kisses against her skin that burned like an acid. His tongue curled about her neck and down her collar, feeling unlike anything she had known before.

It felt so wickedly good yet made her feel so terribly dirty. She managed to get the tips of her toes upon the floor, keeping her knees together. There was no chance he could do anything to her short of growing another arm. He would have to let up and then she would have him.

The opening came when he tried to step in closer. He pulled her in off the wall, but she was so much shorter than he was. He had to lift his head. His eyes crossed hers.

“Easy, easy.”

His grip relaxed slightly.

“Yes… you really want me but not like this.”

She cooed at his glazed expression, reaching up to stroke the sides of his face. His face contorted for a moment with emotions visibly conflicting.

“That’s right. You want me more than this.”

“I… I… I…”

“You care for me to much to do this when I’m not ready.”

“But I… want…”

Kurumu pressed up against him, knowing her charm was barely working. It was so hard to plant such a mild thought in his head when she knew damn well he would have torn her clothes off had she done nothing. He was getting both signals from her and she had to calm herself down and clear her mind if she had any hope of evading this unwanted outcome.

It did not help matters that she had never felt so aroused in her life. She hated how she did not even want this guy but her body was so… treacherous.

Breathing deep, she nuzzled her head against his chest. She could feel his hold tightening. Her hold on him was weakening. It was time.

“Oh, Saizou. I know you really want that Akashiya girl.”

His expression went distant.

“Akashiya.”

“Yes, the girl you followed yesterday.”

“Akashiya.”

“Yes, the girl you challenged Aono for.”

“Aono? The boy with her?”

“Yes. Aono.”

“He… he was… nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes.”

“He did not beat you?”

“No. It was… Akashiya.”

“What?”

“Akashiya… powerful… I could not even move.”

“Akashiya bested you?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, Saizou, you must have not seen it right. There’s no way the woman you care so much for would have hurt you.”

“Vampire.”

“Vampire?”

“Not… her… I… only have you now.”

Saizou wrapped his arms about her in a crushing embrace as he started to sob against her shoulder.

Kurumu huffed, flipping an errant bang out of her eyes as she patted his sides gently. She had never thought Saizou to be the weepy type, but it occasionally happened to boys while under her trance. He needed to back off soon, as he was pretty heavy and her legs were starting to shake.

“Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay. We can be friends first till you recover from this, okay? We can walk back to the dorms together, okay?”

He sniffled loudly, thankfully withdrawing. He nodded with another sniffle, rubbing his eyes for a moment.

“I’m sorry. I… don’t understand why. She’s… powerful. She belongs with someone like me.”

Kurumu smiled, grabbing up his hand in hers. She kept his gaze, slightly amazed at how well this was going.

“You don’t want to be with a girl stronger than you are, Saizou. You’re too proud for that.”

“Yea… you’re right.”

Kurumu let go of his hands to bend over and pick up her schoolbag. Holding it in one, she took hold of his hand with the other.

“Let’s go home, okay?”

“Okay.”

She smiled as he started off, pulling her along. He grabbed up his bag which he had set down on the first table of the room. With a sheepish grin, he unlocked the door and opened it for her.

“Wow, I’m sorry.”

Kurumu giggled, wondering how long this Saizou would last.

“It’s no big deal.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

She hoped he would not do a whole lot of talking as she doubted she could handle much more of this. It hurt to keep from laughing.

But as they walked down the hall in silence, her thoughts turned to more serious matters. It was clear to her that Saizou truly believed Akashiya was a powerful being and somehow a vampire was involved. If Aono was the vampire in question, she would be treading a very dangerous line that could not even compare to her bewitching a popular Tengu boy in junior high.

It was merely a matter of weighing the situation. The benefits of seducing a vampire were limitless. She would have the most powerful ally this school could hope to offer. But failure could result in death. Sure, Saizou had obviously been spared for some reason, so she was probably worrying too much about the death part.

Things were a lot different though if Akashiya was the vampire. This left no clue as to what Aono was, though gut instincts identified him as food. That was all he was to that woman. Kurumu’s anger flared up at the thought, realizing that Akashiya was nothing more than a parasite leeching off that poor guy.

If she could confirm that he was the victim here, stealing him away was the right thing to do. Kurumu resolved that she must act quickly.


	3. Encounter with a Vampire

Kurumu paced between the headstones of the cemetery that stood off to the side of the path. She had come here extra early so it would be impossible for her to miss seeing Aono. With any luck, he would be alone.

Saizou had proven too difficult to continue a relationship with. She had resorted to charming him three more times on the walk home simply to keep his hands in proper places. She imagined there would be a rumor or two circulating the class this morning about them being a couple as there was little hope that they had not been noticed by someone.

Still, the information had been worth a little blemish on her reputation. Ducking out of his offer to join him for dinner under the ruse of a stomach ache, Kurumu had hurried to her floor and promptly showered every inch of her body to get the feel of him off. She had cranked the dial to the hottest setting, not caring if she reddened her skin. Feeling clean was worth a little discomfort.

The pain in her sides had returned, though she could blame hunger for that. After getting prepped up as she felt proper for a first encounter, she had come straight here without a stop at the mess hall. She had the time, but was more worried about how her next meeting with Saizou would unravel. Avoiding him and any gossip about her behavior certainly outweighed a slight rumble in her tummy.

“Oh, what if he’s alone, what if he’s alone?”

She mumbled to herself, fretting with her hands. She had set her bag aside, having no reason to hold it while she waited.

“Hello. My name is Kurono Kurumu. I’ve been admiring you… oh that is so damn pathetic.”

Kurumu flushed, hiding her face in her hands. She took a deep breath. She clasped her hands together, turned aside and rocked her right foot up on her toes.

“Hey, Aono. I heard you beat up that Saizou guy. You’re so strong!”

Somehow that felt even more ridiculous. Maybe a more sultry delivery would work?

“Hey there, big boy.”

She blushed a deep shade of crimson, unable to continue with that husky delivery. This was not going to work. Everything she could think of was so stupid. Charming him outright would be so less embarrassing.

Sighing, she smiled.

“Hi, I’m going to throw myself at you so you better catch me.”

A thought struck her fancy. Maybe she should not throw at him, but in front of him, like a fall, or a faint. Then he would have to talk to her first. But how was she going to stage that? She could not very well jump out onto the path to conveniently land at his feet. Only a complete idiot would fail to question that.

She wondered how long this guy was going to take. While she was not directly on the path, since she did not want Saizou or any other student to notice her, she did have a good view of it. She was running the risk of being late if she did not give up on this soon.

“Tsukune!”

The squeal of Akashiya’s voice was unmistakable even though Kurumu was hundreds of meters away from the dormitory clearing. She sighed, realizing she was not going to get that private encounter after all. Snatching up her bag, she slinked closer to the path.

It was time to implement the other plan. Kurumu would tail this couple carefully, hoping to verify any signs that would suggest Aono was under Akashiya’s control, or vice versa.

Kurumu hunkered down at the sound of his distinct voice. For a scrawny guy, he had a nice voice. It was not nasal or whiny like many of the loser loners she used to know. It was not deep and intimidating like Burumoto’s or many other big guys. He had the right balance of soothing and inviting.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Tsukune.”

“Yes, Moka?”

Kurumu recognized the two must be addressing each other on a first name basis. That was very quick, considering Kurumu had kind of forgotten Burumoto’s first name. She could hear their footsteps closing in.

“Tsukune.”

“… Moka?”

They stopped. Kurumu poked her head about the stone, spying the couple. Akashiya was radiant as ever, smiling warmly as the girl gazed upon Aono. As his back was to her, Kurumu had no idea what Aono’s reaction was, though she doubted he could be upset with such a lovely smile.

“Tsukune.”

“Moka.”

They were not seriously doing this, right? Kurumu had no idea what she would do if these two started making out but gagging was the first option that came to mind.

“Tsukune.”

“Moka?”

The girl stepped in, timidly grasping his jacket with one hand. Her face moved close to his. They were about to kiss.

“I can’t help it. I overslept and missed breakfast.”

Akashiya’s head darted in with her mouth slightly open. Aono visibly stiffened as he held up his hands. He did not grab hold of the girl.

Kurumu’s hands clenched into small fists. Though she could not see clearly, it was unquestionable evidence that Akashiya was the vampire. She pushed off from the stone and hurried ahead, not caring if the bloodsucker heard her. Kurumu doubted Akashiya would give up on a meal over a bit of rustling leaves.

She had to help that poor guy. Vampires were the most evil creatures of the spiritual realm. Even if he was a witch, he stood no chance against such a powerful being. It might be dangerous, but she could possibly throw herself into the path and pretend she was hurt or faint. Akashiya might not fall for it, but hopefully would not dare do anything with Aono present.

After a minute, she slowed her step as she came to the clearing with the small pond. She glanced back over her shoulder, making sure the path was clear before she got back on it. It looked like she had done a good job of getting ahead of them.

Thunk.

She hit something with the side of her head hard, causing her to lose her footing. She fell back on her side, jarring her elbow against a partially buried rock in the unforgiving ground. She whimpered from the shooting pain in her arm as it was much worse than the glancing blow to her head.

Damn trees. She rolled onto her stomach, pressing her good hand to her forehead. It stung a little to the touch, likely scraped. Wincing she pressed her hand firmly against the injury. Damn, she could already tell it would bruise.

She could not face him like this. Grimacing, she lifted up on her hands and glanced about for her bag. She had inadvertently tossed it up against the trunk of the tree that had got in her way. Crawling on hands and knees, she snatched her bag up, quickly working the latches to get her pocket mirror out. She had to see what her injury looked like in order to smooth it over with a bit of illusion.

“Hey, are you alright?”

It was Aono. She ignored him, regarding the nasty scrape on her head. She focused her thoughts on her reflection, distorting the image to how she had looked this morning. It only took a couple seconds.

“Are you okay, Miss?”

She dropped her mirror on her bag and looked up to him. Aono’s face went from concern to flush. Kurumu could feel the sudden rush of desire sweep into her core. It was surprisingly strong, drawing an involuntary mewl from her lips. She pushed up more on her hands, rolling back on her knees. His desire intensified.

“I fell.”

Oh, this was nice. It was almost as intense as undressing in the locker room. She gingerly touched her head with her eyes closed, arching back to jut her bosom out. It was too bad she had to wear the sweater. If it had just been the shirt, she could have left several buttons undone to maximize this moment.

“I’m feeling dizzy. Can you help me up?”

She heard his footsteps. His hands lightly touched her shoulders. He smelled so nice, but his grip was so hesitant. Kurumu reached up and grabbed his elbows firmly. Encouraged by her hold his hands pressed more assertively to her sides as he helped guide her up.

“Will you be okay?”

His desire seemed to wane, which was disappointing. Kurumu intentionally stumbled into him, pressing up against him. The desire that poured into her was too much to take in. This was so much better than even yesterday. She had felt the lust of so many men directed at her before, but this was beyond intoxicating. She did not want to stop.

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

Shuddering ever so slightly, she backed off a hair. She smiled nervously, unable to meet his gaze.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“I… uh… let’s get you to the nurse’s office.”

His hands gripped her shoulders firmly, guiding her to turn about.

Kurumu swore inwardly, worried that she had freaked him out. Of course she freaked him out. Hell, she was pretty freaked out herself. What the hell was she thinking rubbing all up against him like that? Duh, it felt awesome and she would have kept doing it if he had not stopped her.

“Um… my bag?”

“Oh, sure.”

Kurumu fidgeted with her hands as he stooped over to pick up her bag. He was not the sexiest boy she had ever seen. He was actually very ordinary. There was no reason for her to get so worked up over him. It made no sense why her body had responded so… favorably to him. Then again, she could not recall the last time she had spent so many hours plotting to get a guy. Perhaps it was nothing more than built up anticipation.

“Here you go.”

She did not want to see his face. She reached out and took her bag, noting he had slipped her mirror back inside. Kurumu moved it back to where it belonged before fixing up the latches. Holding it demurely in both hands, she tilted her head slightly, noting the collar of his jacket.

“Thank you.”

“You’re hurt.”

“Hmmm?”

He timidly stepped in, brushing back her bangs where her bruise was. She winced, pulling slightly away.

“That looks pretty bad.”

Had her illusion failed? Oh well, at least it increased sympathy points since she had really tanked her innocent image seconds ago.

“I’m still a bit dizzy.”

“You can take my arm.”

She smiled as he held it out to her. She shifted the bag into her right hand and snaked her other arm inside the crook of his elbow. She leaned slightly up against him as they started to walk.

The pond was only about halfway to the school so they still had quite a bit of a walk ahead of them, at least ten minutes worth. He was moving rather stiffly, so she allowed him some space. That lovely desire she had felt earlier had entirely dissipated, much to her chagrin.

Why was he not saying anything? Then again, what could he say after she had…? Normal girls did not rub all over guys like that. Hell, she had not been that forward with a guy since Takada, and that had been on purpose. She wanted to apologize but she feared that would only make things worse. It was best to let the issue drop entirely.

But she had to say something. He was going to think she was some crazy girl if she did nothing at all. He was probably dwelling on it even now.

“I’m really sorry to cause you so much trouble.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all.”

She glanced over at him, noting the small puncture on his neck. It was a slight nip, like only one tooth had broken through the skin. A small purplish welt ringed the indent, but it was not bleeding.

“You have a mark on your neck.”

He smiled sheepishly.

“Oh, that’s nothing. It doesn’t even hurt.”

Kurumu figured she may as well push the issue.

“Are you seeing a girl?”

His face turned flush as he stammered about for an answer.

“Huh, mmm, uh, me? Oh, no, not really.”

Score! Take that, Akashiya. She had to wonder where that stupid girl had run off to. While she enjoyed this unexpected private meeting with him, it would have been so much better to see Akashiya’s face during all of this.

“But Akashiya is with you all the time.”

“Moka? How do you know that?”

Was he really that clueless?

“I’m in your class.”

“You are?”

“Yes. Your name is Aono. Tsukune Aono.”

Aono blushed, favoring her with an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry I did not notice you in class.”

“I sit behind you, next to Akashiya.”

“I feel so bad.”

Kurumu giggled at how silly this was. The notion that this boy had failed to notice her was perplexing. Then again, she could not recall if he had ever looked back, even though Akashiya sat behind him. That might even be the reason why he had not.

Reassured at how fragile his relationship with Akashiya was, she clung tighter to him. Once again, he stiffened, though this time she felt that lovely rush of desire. It made her whole body tingle with delight. It was overwhelming. She staggered into him, feeling light headed with pleasure.

Aono twisted about, steadying her by her shoulders. She gripped at his sides, almost losing hold of her bag. She heard him gasp as she slumped up against him.

“Are you sure you are okay?”

“I’m sorry. I’m feeling so weird right now.”

“Do you think you need to sit down?”

Kurumu gasped, arching her head back with her eyes closed again. She could feel his hot desire wash over her like scalding water. It was too much. She licked her lips, her throat suddenly dry.

“It’s my body.”

“Your… body…”

“It feels so… tight.”

“Tight?”

Hearing him throw back her word choice hindered her from losing control of herself. She was so close to doing it again. She bowed her head and clung tighter to him, nuzzling into his shoulder. She had to behave. She wanted to behave.

“I’m sorry.”

“O… okay.”

Ah, hell with it. Nobody else was watching and it felt good.

“It’s my breasts.”

Oh, what a delectable reaction. Was she the moth or the flame? Did it matter?

“Your… breasts?”

Tilting her head aside, she rocked on the pads of her feet as she rubbed up against him. This was ecstasy. His rising desire tasted so sweet. And her body was responding.

“Yea… they are so big… and swollen. Sometimes they… hurt so much… I have to… rub them… so the pain… goes away.”

She wanted him. She had never wanted a man before. She could not stop.

“I… uh…”

His hands clamped down on her shoulders rather firmly.

The sudden halt of desire left her jilted and desperate. She panicked over how badly she had played this out, knowing he was going to reprimand her any second now. He pushed her slightly back to give him space.

Kurumu threw her gaze at him, pleading. She could not stand it if he turned her away after that.

“I’m sorry, Aono! We’re very good friends! Is that okay?”

His soft, brown eyes glazed over with confusion.

“Friends?”

Kurumu felt relieved that her charm had worked, but upset at herself. But she could not let her thoughts wander as she looked into his eyes. She had to be firm and calm.

“Yea. I’m Kurono Kurumu. You call me Kurumu because we’re very good friends.”

He nodded slightly, his grip on her shoulders timid.

“Friends? Yea, I’m your friend, Kurumu.”

She smiled with some remorse. She had really screwed this up, but at least he was hers now. She sighed, wrapping her arms about him and squeezing him fondly.

“Yea, friends. So I do odd things like rub my tits on you because we are good friends.”

“You do?”

Hell, yes, I do because it feels wickedly awesome. Kurumu knew she could not say that outright, but she had to explain why she behaved so weird with him. While she could plant the thought that she was his girlfriend, she somehow felt that would be cheating.

She pulled away to look into his eyes once more.

“Yes. Because I can get away with that sort of thing with you.”

Aono suddenly laughed. It was a pleasant sound. He grabbed her about her shoulders, trying to pull her against him.

Kurumu giggled as he handled her so assertively. She twisted in his grasp, afraid he might try to kiss her in his charmed state. Messing up his grip, Aono accidentally squeezed her left tit rather firmly for a moment. Kurumu mewled with pleasure, though he quickly moved his hand to her side so that he could hold her securely against him.

“What are you doing?”

“Defeating your wiles, you wicked woman. You know by now how much that distresses me.”

Oddly, he had picked up on that errant thought. It was not a perfect charm, but it was very nice to be held so firmly.

“Mmm… yes, I do. Should we be getting along to class?”

“I’m not letting you go till I get a formal apology.”

Kurumu giggled as his hold on her tightened. While this was fun, she felt his desire was diminished from before. That was the inherent problem with charms. Natural attraction always tasted better.

“And who says I want to be let go?”

They both shared a laugh as she made mild attempts to escape his firm grip about her torso.

“What is going on here?”

Kurumu stiffened at the sound of the girl. Her eyes fixed on Akashiya whom had finally come along the path. The vampire was clearly distressed with the scene Kurumu was making.

“We’re having fun, right… Tsukune.”

She paused on his name, feeling awkward saying it. But she was good friends with him now, or so he believed. She had to say it.

“Who is this girl, Tsukune?”

Kurumu smirked at the worried expression on Akashiya’s face.

“I’m in your class.”

“I know, but you never gave your name.”

“Oh, well, I’m Kurono Kurumu. Tsukune and I are best friends now. Right?”

Aono laughed, hugging her tight. Kurumu squirmed a little, twisting about in his grasp till she could face him.

“Stop it!”

Aono frowned at Akashiya.

“Why? She’s only teasing.”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at the annoying girl.

“Yea, he likes it.”

“I don’t understand.”

As fun as it was to torture the girl, Kurumu did not want to be too late for the first class. Looking into his eyes, she planted a strong suggestion.

“Hey, Tsukune. We need to get to class.”

“Yea, we should.”

Slipping an arm around to her other shoulder, he pulled her against him as they resumed the walk towards the school. He would follow her instruction till the task was completed.

“Hey! Wait up!”

“No. Why would I want to wait for someone that treats me like breakfast?”

Kurumu perked up at the odd remark. Clearly that was something bothersome on his mind else he would not say it. This was perfect. Not only did he deny being a couple, but he also disliked the notion of being a meal. She was so happy she had rescued him from that evil vampire’s clutches.

“That’s terrible. We should hurry before she makes you her lunch too.”

“Yea.”

Kurumu felt proud of herself. She had bested a vampire. Very few could claim such a feat. Now all she had to do was see if she could really make them friends once the charm wore off. Then her victory would be complete.

* * *

She was totally winning here.

Kurumu had been a little worried that waltzing into class arm in arm with Aono would diminish desire cast upon her, but it had completely the opposite effect. It was even better than the first day of school when every guy seemed to notice her before that pink hussy showed up and stole all the attention. It was delicious to be so coveted.

There were a couple sour faces in the group. Surely Saizou was thinking up several ways to make Aono disappear. Many of the girls turned their noses away or outright ignored her. None of it surprised or bothered her. Not even Burumoto’s sole grunt of acknowledgement.

But the best face of all was Akashiya’s. Kurumu could not even take notes. Every couple seconds she would feel those angry eyes on her. With a sidelong glance, Kurumu would confirm that Akashiya was looking at her. Vampire or not, she was totally winning here.

It was hard to say how Aono was taking this. He was clearly unlike the guy she had mildly studied these past couple days. He was taking notes but had a very distant atmosphere, somewhat melancholy. She had a feeling he was brooding over this morning’s antics, but at least he had not turned around and apologized. It kept Akashiya simmering exactly the way Kurumu wanted.

The bell announced the start of the lunch hour. Akashiya stood up resolutely. With a scowl, the girl stomped off for the back doorway.

Kurumu had to see this.

“Hey, can you watch my bag?”

Burumoto frowned at her.

“What?”

Kurumu quickly got out of her desk and tossed him her bag. Burumoto snagged it before it hit him, clearly displeased with her. But she could not simply leave her bag unattended. There was not a girl in this class she had a reason to trust.

Not bothering with an explanation, Kurumu hurried out of the classroom glancing down the hall for signs of Akashiya. Spotting the girl descending the nearest staircase, Kurumu slinked cautiously close to the wall of the corridor. She did not have to go down to keep her quarry in sight, since the upper level was more like a balcony than an actual corridor. Despite her attempts to blend in all covertly, Kurumu could feel a healthy amount of desire directed at her. Oh well. At least Akashiya seemed clueless.

Kurumu squeaked as a hand gripped her shoulder. She whipped about, her hands up defensively. Nazohashi, her antagonist, regarded her with a disapproving glare.

“What do you think you are doing?”

Kurumu bristled at the tone, gesturing down the corridor which happened to be in the same direction as the cafeteria.

“Going to lunch.”

“I knew you were up to something, Ms. Kurono. I heard you were with Saizou yesterday and now you’re with Aono. How is this keeping out of trouble?”

She did not have time for this nonsense.

“Who made you my mother? Leave me alone!”

“It’s my job to keep order in my class.”

Nazohashi was like all the rest of them, looking down at her like she was some vagrant. She was tired of it.

“Just stay out of my business!”

“What part of keeping you out of trouble did you not understand? Are you stupid?”

Kurumu smacked the girl hard across the face. Wringing her fists in frustration, Kurumu closed her eyes and braced herself for retaliation.

“You don’t understand a damn thing about me!”

There was a soft sob and then the quick sound of retreat. Kurumu looked up, realizing Nazohashi had ran away.

Yes! It served that bossy little princess right. Kurumu was done putting up with how crappy all these girls treated her and she was going to put Akashiya in her place next. Once she dropped the fact that Akashiya was a vampire and proved to everyone that she was in charge here, at least they would respect her enough not to be a bunch of bitches making slights against her to feel good about their pathetic lives.

Fired up, Kurumu brazenly walked by her chemistry room, looking for her prey. No doubt Akashiya was sulking somewhere, probably thinking how much of a whore Kurumu was, despite that being completely hypocritical. Akashiya had been latched onto Aono several times and somehow saw nothing wrong with that, but once a succubus does it, oh, that is just a terrible thing. Fuck that.

Kurumu spotted Akashiya lingering in the corridor below next to the home economics room. This was perfect. Kurumu hurried over to the opening in the balcony and pranced down the first couple steps. Once she had a good angle on the girl, Kurumu hopped up on the railing.

“So this is what a vampire looks like.”

Akashiya’s eyes shot up to her, startled.

“Trying to look pathetic so the boys will sympathize with you? I know all those tricks.”

It was wonderful. So much attention was flooding into her core. Kurumu hopped off her perch to land on her feet. It actually had been a bit more of a drop than she had thought. The pads of her feet really hurt, but putting on a strong, confident look, Kurumu righted herself.

She could feel every male in the hall wanted her body. Kurumu jut her chest out proudly, draping an arm deliberately below her assets to accentuate them. Clasping her elbow, she strutted over to the girl that had been causing her so much trouble.

“I’m tired of putting up with you.”

Akashiya frowned, feigning innocence.

“Putting up with me?”

“All I wanted was to quietly absorb the surplus male desire this school has to offer, but you had to wreck all my plans.”

“Your plans?”

“I just said it, you idiot! Don’t play dumb! You were throwing yourself at that guy!”

“Tsukune?”

“Yes, him! What other guy could I be talking about?”

“I don’t understand.”

“You know perfectly well what you are doing! Look at me, I’m so sweet to the other girls. Oh and I’m willing to date normal guys. Look at me. Look at me.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tsukune. Sure, he looks common enough. You cling to him and every guy in the room thinks that could be them.”

“That’s just stupid. Tsukune’s my friend.”

“Don’t mock me like I don’t know what I’m talking about!”

Feeling brave, Kurumu closed in on Akashiya. With a mild glance about, she spoke in a quiet, yet firm tone.

“I’m a succubus. I know all the tricks.”

Akashiya frowned ever so cutely. Oh, she was good.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to tell your true form to other students.”

Kurumu stepped in so that her bosom pressed up against Akashiya. Scowling, she wagged her fingers at the girl.

“Don’t you throw rules at me! I’ve had it with you and your fake attitude! Stop taking all the attention I need!”

“But I’m not doing anything!”

“Stop pretending to be innocent. I’ve had enough of this crap!”

“But I’m really not doing anything!”

How annoying. This girl really knew how to play the victim card. Fine, if she wanted to do that, then it was time to push some delicate buttons.

“Well, too bad. Since you are too stupid to understand I guess I’ll have to keep Tsukune.”

“What?”

“You leave me no other options. I have to steal Tsukune away from you.”

“That’s stupid. Tsukune has nothing to do with this.”

This girl was really grating on her nerves.

“Why do you insist on talking in circles? I already explained this!”

“Because I’m not doing what you say I am.”

“There you are, Moka. I’ve been looking all over.”

Kurumu acknowledged how many of the gathered students had taken interest in this exchange. Now that the lunch line had fully developed, there was no other place for these students to be. They were a captive audience and they now knew the truth about this attention whore.

Aono was making his way down the flight of steps she had launched from. He had quite the look of concern on his face. Kurumu knew he was going to ruin this showdown. If he went to Akashiya, everyone would side with little miss victim. She could not allow that.

“Moka!”

Aono stepped through the front line of the spectators. Akashiya whirled upon him, her expression slightly annoyed.

“What, Tsukune?”

His step faltered at her curt remark. He glanced down to the floor, dejected.

“Listen, Moka. I needed to talk to you about what I said today.”

Kurumu hopped three quick steps before lunging into him. Reflexively, he caught her as she wrapped her arms about his torso. She giggled with glee over how amazing the crowd’s reaction was to this. It was exactly what she had said it was. This was why that bitch was doing it.

“Hey, Tsukune.”

His hands drifted up to her shoulders as he pushed her slightly back.

“Hey, Kurumu. I need to talk with Moka now.”

Happy that he had called her name, she gazed up into his eyes.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”

He staggered a half step, his eyes going dim. He frowned, letting go of her. As if confused, he touched his temple.

“I… guess not. Now that I think about it, I don’t.”

Kurumu grinned, stepping close to him and placing her palm possessively on his chest. Gingerly she slipped her other hand to his side.

“Tsukune! You have to get away from her!”

Oh, look at her act all protective as if she really cared. Even the tone had the right amount of concern. Kurumu might have believed it if she did not know the girl was only using him for an easy meal and drawing out other targets like Saizou.

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Because she’s dangerous!”

“I think she’s sweet.”

Kurumu noticed the mark. That little mark was still there, even after so many hours. That had to confirm it. Most creatures had an innate ability to heal themselves over time. But witches were the closest to humans. They had delicate bodies. Sure, they could heal themselves with magic, but it was not something he could have done during class without revealing his true form.

“I just noticed something. Tsukune is very different from the other students.”

Kurumu grinned as she looked over her shoulder at Akashiya.

“Isn’t that right, Moka? It’s almost like he’s human.”

She drawled out the name mockingly, pleased with the alarm in the girl’s eyes. Now that she thought about it, those eyes were more of a bluish green than a pure blue. It was so lovely seeing them waver with uncertainty now that the truth was out.

“His blood must taste really good. That’s the real reason you keep him around.”

Akashiya flushed. Clenching her fists, she shook her head animatedly.

“That’s not true at all!”

“But it is true. The only reason why you want me as a friend is because you want to suck my blood.”

Awesome! The charm of making him not want to talk to that bitch had drawn another winner out of his subconscious.

The silence astounded her. The crowd held its breath, waiting for some sort of response. Kurumu turned a smug look at Akashiya.

She could already tell by the weepy expression which route the girl was going to take. Sure enough, Akashiya let out a piteous sob before turning sharply on her heel and running off. Whether it was acting or genuine, Kurumu counted this as a victory. She clutched to his side, laughing.

“Yea, that’s right! Run away, you little tramp!”

She scowled as the murmurs in the crowd preceded a diminished interest in her. No doubt they were sympathizing with the victim. They were all a bunch of fools, falling for such juvenile tricks.

Reaching up, she touched his face to redirect his attention to her. She smiled, gazing up into his eyes.

“Come with me, Tsukune. I think you need a little time in the infirmary.”

“Okay.”

She honestly had no idea where it was, but since he was the one that had suggested it this morning, he probably did. She smiled as he took the lead.

* * *

Kurumu watched him while he slept, knowing that when he finally did regain consciousness, he would no longer be under her charm. As pleased as she was with her triumph over the vampire, there was still something that troubled her. She was supposed to be the one in control. Regardless of how good it had felt, Kurumu had never felt compelled to do such things before. She had to talk to him.

The infirmary was nothing like she had expected. This looked more like a rentable room from a love hotel from those sleazy movies her mother watched late at night thinking Kurumu was asleep. Kurumu shuddered at the thought of how such scenes played out, her heart fluttering wildly.

Kurumu was surprised that they were alone in here. With how dangerous the students could potentially be to each other, she had figured there would be far more traffic than this lazy, quiet setting. As was, Aono’s minor injury was promptly looked at by Ms. Tsumugi, the nurse. She had nearly shooed the two of them off over being so silly, but Kurumu had insisted that they stay here till he fully recovered.

The nurse had laughed over the request, but allowed it since there was so little else for her to do. According to Ms. Tsumugi, very few students ever ended up in the infirmary since life at Yokai was much like electrocution. Either the injuries were mild enough for the students to get by without medical treatments or they were dead and did not need her assistance.

There was not much to this infirmary. Other than the entry that served as a small waiting room, there was one exam room and Ms. Tsumugi’s office. This recovery room was easily the same size as the other three rooms combined, with two beds on each side of a dividing curtain. For some strange reason, the beds were dressed up like hotel beds instead of the typical beds Kurumu had seen in hospital dramas. It made her anxious.

He groaned, shifting in the bed. Kurumu hopped out of the chair and started to pace between the beds. The moment of truth was upon her. She might never get a chance like this again.

“Where… where am I?”

Kurumu took a deep, calming breath. Closing her eyes, she rested her palms on his side. She felt him jerk with surprise.

“Easy, Tsukune. It’s just me.”

“Moka? I have to talk with her.”

Kurumu sighed, opening her eyes but glancing down his torso to fixate at his waist. She knew it was very possible he would come out exactly where he had left off. Of course he would remember everything. They always did.

“You don’t need that girl.”

He crawled and twisted up, gripping onto her elbows. She saw his head, his face with concern. Before a thought could cross her mind, she glanced to the cherry hued headboard.

“Kurumu. Do you know where she is?”

His earnest tone bothered her.

“Why would I know that?”

“Please, I can’t leave things the way they are.”

Shaking her arms down to break free of his grip, she quickly caught him as he fell off balance into her bosom. She wrapped her arms about his neck and held him tightly. Though her body was reacting similar to this morning, her heart was angry with his words.

“Tsukune, stay with me. That girl is only using you.”

“Bwwp Krrmm I Knnn Brrf.”

She stroked his brown locks of hair, knowing she could not hold him like this long. His breath felt so hot, her blouse slightly moist from his labored pants. Sighing, she relaxed her grip so he could pull back with a dramatic gasp.

“Thought… I was going to die.”

“Tsukune. Why are you so different than the others?”

“Huh?”

“Are you a witch?”

“A tail!”

She frowned at his odd response, noting he was gawking to her side. With a glance over her shoulder, she blushed hotly at the sight of her long, black tail with the spade tip at the end. She released him, hopping back a step as she promptly slapped her hands down on the back of her skirt.

“Oh, why’d you have to say something?”

“But it’s a tail.”

Kurumu pouted, feeling like she could die from embarrassment right now. Here she was trying to get his true form and had to blow her own cover. Now there was no way he was going to trust her.

“Yes, it’s a tail. I have a tail.”

Fine, if he wanted to see tail, she had the perfect solution.

“Do you think you could do something for me, Tsukune? Sometimes when it accidentally slips out, it can tear my clothes.”

Kurumu turned about and bent slightly. She flipped up her skirt.

“Did they rip?”

Even though it was only meant to catch him off balance before he made any comments about her being a succubus, Kurumu collapsed on her knees, her hands gripping the other bedside. Such intensity. That spike of desire had torn through her so sharply she ached for more. She panted, certain he would act soon. Every inch of her body wanted him to.

“Are you okay?”

No doubt her stumble had interrupted his desire. She licked her lips as she gripped at the coarse sheets drawn tightly across the bed. Her body would not settle down, but she had to say something.

“Yes. Please. Please be gentle.”

“What?”

Kurumu buried her face against the sheet, burning hotly with shame.

“It’s… it’s my first time.”

“I… I think I should find Moka now.”

The words shocked her to the core. It was like he had torn out her heart and crushed it. How could he do this to her? No man had ever made her feel this way before. She would not stand for it.

“You like her better than me, don’t you!”

“Kurumu?”

“And after I’ve thrown myself at you. Truth is… I’ve done things for you that I have never done before.”

With a scream, her wings tore out of her blouse and sweater effortlessly. Tears in her eyes, she flexed her shoulders to spread her wings out. It felt so much better to let them stretch after spending days with them cramped within her back.

She turned about, noting the terrified look in his eyes. His fear angered her even more. If he was that pathetic, he should have thanked the heavens for her interest in him.

“Sure, I’ll help you find your girlfriend. So I can tear her apart!”

“Get away from him!”

Kurumu glanced at her adversary, catching only a glimpse of pink hair before something rock solid struck against her shoulder. Her body lifted up under the brute force, her wings folding in front of her as she flew across the room faster than she could think. She hid her face in her elbows as her back smashed through glass that scattered all about. Thankfully the force of the push knocked her clear of most of the debris, leaving only a couple painful scrapes on her calves.

With a simple flex of her wings, she halted her fall. Her breath came with ragged sobs. The bitch had attacked her. Pumping her chiropteran wings, Kurumu quickly sped back to the broken window.

“… bewitch men just by looking at them.”

“So that’s why I said those terrible things to you.”

Lies! Kurumu reached the window and whipped about hard. Her tail snagged up and around one of her antagonists. Cinching it tightly upon itself, Kurumu batted her wings furiously to yank the offender out. She laughed as she cleared the building with her prey in tow, putting as much distance between her and the school as she could.

Holy hell, this bitch was heavy! She tried hard to keep her tail up but she kept swinging down that only a desperate hard pump of her wings could right herself. It felt like any moment her tail was going to tear off.

She felt the small pop in her lower back and her tail went limp. She cried out as the weight suddenly was gone, more concerned that her tail might have been yanked off than that stupid bitch falling. Whimpering, she noted her tail was intact, though she could not bend it at all.

Kurumu glanced about, realizing she was somewhere over the forest between the school and the dorms. She gasped, seeing everything and knowing she could easily be seen. She was ruined. Everyone in school would know now. It was going to be like junior high, all over again. Angrily, she searched the trees for a recent disturbance so she could quickly locate the one to blame for this.

Spying the pink hair, Kurumu angled down and dove into the trees. She was going to tear that girl, limb from limb. The wind whistled as she descended rapidly, her wings pressed tightly to her sides.

Kurumu gasped, slapping her wings down to stabilize, confused at the scene before her. Somehow, Aono was here. He was wincing, rubbing his head while seated on the ground. Akashiya was on her hands and knees not far from him. It made no sense, unless one of them had grabbed hold of the other.

“Are you two stupid? That really hurt!”

Aono looked up, his eyes wild.

“Kurumu, stop!”

“Why should I? You know she is just using you, yet you side with her? If you want to die so badly, I can end it now!”

Kurumu shook her hands, her fingers elongating into narrow blades. She dove at him, claws extended.

A flash of green and pink darted through her field of vision an instant before Kurumu tore into him. She tried to bank aside, but her hand sliced through a couple trees before she could get clear. It took more than two strong flexes to slow her flight and right herself. Looking about, she realized she was nowhere near them.

Kurumu mewled at the ache in her hand, shaking it rapidly as if that could diminish the pain. That was careless. She had to calm down. Oh, but she hated them so much. There was no way she was going to apologize now. And there was no way Akashiya was going to let her get away. Like every other vindictive girl in this school, Akashiya would in the very least report this to the faculty.

Ignoring the pain in her hand, Kurumu turned about and darted through the trees back to her quarry. They were easy enough to find, considering she had made quite a distinctive path. The two were holding each other. It was sickening.

Kurumu landed nearby, drawing their attention. As her left hand was useless, she brandished her right as she approached them. Why were they looking at her like that? Akashiya had attacked her first. This was her fault.

“Don’t give me that look! I’m tired of that look! I’m going to tear you both apart!”

Akashiya clutched Aono tightly to her bosom.

“No! You can kill me, but don’t harm Tsukune!”

Kurumu laughed in disbelief as she came to a stop. She could lop that pretty head off in a couple more steps, but this was stupid.

“Still playing the part? I can’t believe you. You expect me to believe you actually care for someone you’re just using!”

Akashiya stiffened.

“That’s a lie! Tsukune is very important to me! He’s the first real friend I have ever had! I would gladly die for him!”

Kurumu twitched, enraged that this girl insisted on toying with her.

“Then die!”

With a quick step, Kurumu stabbed her fingers through Akashiya’s right shoulder. The look of shock and pain in Akashiya’s pretty eyes was exactly what she wanted. No more games.

Aono lifted up and pushed hard against Kurumu. She fell back a couple steps, her claws dripping with Akashiya’s blood. She was about to question what he thought he could do when he turned about and bravely held his arms out as if to shield Akashiya from her. The firm look on his face angered her.

“I will not let you harm her.”

“You’re just under her control.”

“You only think that, because that is all you know.”

There was something very confident and firm in Akashiya’s voice. Her hair rapidly lost its color till it was nothing but a pale white sheet draped across her shoulders. The girl slowly stood up, only the tear in her jacket indicating that she had been injured. She turned her head and gazed upon Kurumu, eyes burning with a crimson flame.

Kurumu faltered back a step. There was something terrifying about this. She wanted to run, but her legs would not budge. She drew back, forcing her feet to shuffle at least one step.

“So… it is true. You are a vampire.”

“Yes, as you have been saying all this time.”

This was no good. Her whole body was trembling. She could not fight this. She flexed her shoulders with a strong push and lifted up into the air. She had to get away.

“And where are you going?”

Her wings cramped, denying her escape. All Kurumu could do was hover. Was this Akashiya’s doing? Quivering, Kurumu turned about.

“Afraid you are going to lose?”

Kurumu clenched her teeth.

“What would you know about it? You know nothing of my kind.”

“I know enough to not be impressed.”

Kurumu bristled with anger.

“Yes, that’s always how it is. Nobody truly cares for me. The only friends I could ever have are the ones I trick into it.”

“Exactly.”

Bitch! Every last one of them!

Kurumu shot in with all the speed she could muster, leading with her right hand. But she came up with only air. She flailed wildly about in a circle, but Akashiya was nowhere to be found.

“Is that all there is to this? You’re just a lonely little girl.”

That hurt more than anything else could. Tears blurred her vision as she threw herself at Akashiya, but it was pointless. There was a sharp tug on her lower back.

Kurumu cried out as her whole body was spun through the air. The speed of the spin was so terrifying that her wings felt like they would break off her shoulder blades. The air was whistling through her ears and everything became a blur of colors. Darkness crept in from the corners of her vision.

Her body went weightless as she hurtled off. Her body crushed through something that reluctantly yielded to her passage. It felt like everything in her back shattered into a warm blaze of agony. She barely felt the second barrier she slammed up against. This one did not yield, allowing her to fall in a heap upon the dirt.

In her stupor, one thought became clear. She was going to die. This was why her kind was a dying race. Nobody loved them. Nobody cared. As she heard the footsteps approach, she found the strength to cry.

“You were very cruel to her. I should tear off your wings and tail.”

Kurumu sobbed, unable to feel them even if they were still attached. With a mere flex of her shoulder, she cried out from the stabbing pain that tore through her. It was broken. Her right wing was broken and she could not even move the left. She cried again, grimacing as she mustered the strength to push up on her arms.

Kurumu bawled as she realized her legs would not move at all. Knowing she had to get away, she clutched at the ground, dragging herself. If these were to be her final thoughts, then she cursed the mother that sent her to this forsaken place. She cursed her mother for being a whorish succubus that had built up this worthless image of her kind. And she cursed all of creation for giving her a life so cruel that it would end like this.

“What are you doing?”

“Please, stop.”

It was Aono.

“This girl tried to kill you.”

“Look at her, Moka. She couldn’t hurt anybody now.”

“In a day or two she will completely recover from this. I can’t take that risk.”

Kurumu glanced over her shoulder. He was standing there, bravely, arms outstretched. It was the same as he had done for Akashiya earlier. He was holding something in his hand. She had not noticed that before.

“She’s not going to hurt anyone.”

The imposing Akashiya glowered at him.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because, deep down, I know she’s a good person.”

Someone… someone stood up for her. It had been so long since she had heard anyone say something like that.

“We could become friends with her. You know. Like you and I are friends.”

Kurumu collapsed to the dirt. Her tears fell freely, and it hurt so much to cry. She could not hear what else they said over her sobs, but it did not matter. Someone had stood up for her. Someone finally cared.


	4. Recovery and Unusual Girls

Kurumu gasped, sitting upright. She winced from the sudden pain that ached all over her body, clutching at the sheet that had been draped over her. She curled down against herself, her wings twitching with ripples of stinging agony. She could only manage ragged pants as she coped with the sudden awareness of her extensive injuries.

Her pants became heaves as she pitched onto her hands at her side. It hurt so much. She coughed and gasped, trembling as she adjusted to this. Minutes felt like hours.

Eventually she was able to focus her thoughts. The red dashes on the black screen of the silver box coalesced into a semblance of time. It was almost noon.

She realized she was in her room, though had no recollection of how she got here. She remembered the fight from the other day, knowing her pain was the result of that. She distinctly knew that Aono had stood up for her in the face of certain death. That feeling flooded back in and Kurumu wept fresh tears.

As Kurumu rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands, she realized everyone had to know her true form. She must have lost consciousness, which meant Aono had to carry her back as she was. There was no way someone had not noticed her true form yesterday. It might have been kinder if Akashiya had killed her.

Absently grabbing the sheet, she pulled it to her breast. With every nerve tingling with pain, Kurumu slowly became aware of her nudity. It was a confusing discovery, resulting in checking beneath the sheet more than once to confirm the lack of anything but her own barren flesh.

Suddenly frightened, Kurumu yanked the sheet aside and felt about her grime streaked skin for any traces of molestation. With a simple touch upon her left leg, she cried out, eyes clenching tight. The upper thigh was clearly broken with shooting pain lancing down to her toes and back along her calf.

Kurumu had never broken a bone before, so she had no idea how long this misery would persist. This was not the first tussle she had engaged in, so she was quite familiar with how quickly cuts and bruises would heal. Heck, there was that bitch, Aoi, whom had punctured her lung, but that had also healed within a few hours. But she could tell her wing was not in much better shape than it had been before she had passed out. The only pleasant thing about this excruciating pain in her leg was that she could feel it.

Whimpering, Kurumu rolled to her right. She sobbed with short breaths as she dragged her limp leg over while trying to get on her hands and knee. She awkwardly crawled towards the hamper, pulling it down next to her as she glanced through the contents.

To her surprise, only her discarded clothes from her first couple days of school were piled within the container. There was no bloodied rags or torn garments. Her clothes from yesterday simply were gone. Kurumu clutched at the wicker hamper, guessing at what could have happened.

Clenching her teeth, Kurumu pushed her torso up so that she could get up off her knee. Every jostle of her left leg ached wickedly, but she would not be defeated. She managed to get her foot planted on the floor and clambered up her closet door to a standing position. Even the act of brushing the toes of her left foot against the floor hurt.

After taking a moment to collect her nerves and calm her breathing, Kurumu tried to bend her injured leg at the knee. She whimpered, realizing it was no good. At least she could bend her ankle up. Knowing it was going to hurt every time her foot accidentally struck against the floor, Kurumu awkwardly eased the closet door open while making very small hops on her good foot.

Kurumu pulled a black towel off one of the pegs mounted on the side of the compartment. The coarse material had faded with age, having been in her household for as long as she could remember. It was just another fine example of how frugal her mother lived.

As her wings were too troublesome, Kurumu wrapped the towel about her hips, tucking the end tightly in the hem. While normally this was a simple feat, Kurumu had to throw her palm to the back of the closet to stabilize herself twice. This sudden gesture caused her wing to twitch painfully.

Most if not all the students would be in classes. It was too far of a walk to run back to the dorms for lunch. Although she had little doubt that everyone probably knew she was a succubus now, she had no desire to flaunt her true form about needlessly. Nobody would see her slip out across the hall to take a much required shower.

Using the wall for support, Kurumu hobbled towards the doorway. Her locks of hair danced freely upon her shoulders and the base of her wings. The sensation was confusing until she spied her ribbon tied about a small, folded paper sitting on the recessed counter next to the door.

Kurumu felt relieved, despite having not realized it was missing. She would have been very angry with someone if this had been discarded with the rest of her attire. Grabbing up the ribbon, she leaned her shoulder up against the door for support. She promptly untied it to unfold the paper.

Kurumu,

I hope you are feeling much better when you read this note. We could not get your things out of the nurse's office last night, since the school closed before we realized we would need them. I'll be sure to bring your bag and keys after school.

Moka

PS We decided to throw out your outfit as neither of us can stitch very well. Please don't be angry with me as I did my best.

Kurumu sighed, knowing she would have to do laundry more often now as she had only owned enough uniforms to get her through the school week. While she did own that green jacket, she imagined only the boys would be interested in her showing up in only that. There was always the chance her miserly mother might buy another uniform, but there was no telling how long that would take.

Kurumu shook her head, dropping the note and ribbon back on the counter. That girl was beyond weird, drawing hearts and bunnies about her name. Kurumu wondered if this ridiculous cuteness served as a balance with that awful true form. The mere thought of the lack of sympathy in those crimson eyes instigated an involuntary shudder.

Hobbling back, Kurumu turned the knob and pulled open the door. She twisted the lock above the knob, throwing out the solid dead bolt, which would effectively prevent the door from closing and locking her out. Clinging to the door, Kurumu slowly managed to ease into the hallway while pulling the door as closed as possible.

Kurumu imagined Akashiya had requested assistance from the housemother downstairs. It was the only explanation as to how they had got her into her room last night, let alone know which room to take her to. As the dorms were strictly gender specific, Aono had probably been forced to wait in the main lobby downstairs, or summarily sent home while Akashiya had taken care of the rest. It was slightly comforting to know Aono had not been part of the disrobing process.

Even so, if knowledge of her true form got around campus, things would become much more difficult for her. While the girls would be even more stuck up and dismissive of her, the boys would become difficult.

There was this common misconception that a succubus was nothing but a whore that enjoyed all sorts of sexual advances. Naturally when Kurumu attempted to correct this error, it often resulted in anger and the occasional attempted rape. Thankfully most did not understand that a mere glance from her could stop any such altercations.

She wondered if anyone would actually believe that she was a virgin. Though Kurumu had secured the affections of more guys than probably all the girls on her floor combined had, she had never felt good enough about any relationship to commit her body to. Not that she did not have any clue as to how sex worked, thanks to those steamy, late night videos back at home.

Having crossed the hall without much trouble, Kurumu reached the bathroom. The tiles of the floor were cold but dry. She managed to cross the room without mishap, taking her loosened towel and hanging it over the shower door.

Swinging the door out, Kurumu carefully hopped over the lip onto the grainy, concrete floor that had a drain chiseled into the center of this depression. She had to fold her wings to get them through the narrow opening, and could not let them fully spread out in the tight confines. Making sure the dials were appropriately set, Kurumu pulled the lever that released the flow. Pleased with the temperature, she closed the shower door and locked it.

The hot water relaxed her, despite the stings of pain that coursed about her body when droplets struck in sensitive places. She bowed her head into the rivulets, rubbing her fingers through her hair while the other palm pressed to a wall for balance.

Despite the pain, Kurumu let her left foot press gently to the floor. She could not put much weight on it, but the act allowed her to use her other hand to rub the blood and dirt that stained her flesh in so many places.

It was not the most effective shower, realizing she had brought neither soap nor shampoo. But the thought of limping back to her room and returning here disagreed with her. She could always take a more thorough shower when her body was further healed.

Fighting back the pain, Kurumu made a point to rub down her injured leg. She pressed her foot down firmer to mix up the pain, though it only really helped with her tenuous balance. Once her legs were finished, she went back to favoring her good leg and rubbing down the places on her back that she could manage to reach. Getting much of her wings was next to impossible, so she settled for turning about and letting the water strike against them for a good couple minutes.

Kurumu contemplated the fight. It had taken the injury to draw Akashiya's true form out. As much as she had felt like Akashiya had started the whole fight, Kurumu knew it was that attack which had resulted in her current physical state. She had to apologize for that if nothing else.

Unsure how long she had been simply standing in the water, Kurumu cut off the water and pulled the towel down from the shower door. She attempted to dry her hair but quickly found that to be too difficult with her wings in this tiny stall. Giving up on that, Kurumu unlocked and opened the door. Leaning against the stall, she winced while drying off her left foot before setting it out on the tiles beyond the lip.

Kurumu was almost in tears as she clutched to the stall and tried to settle her weight on her injured leg. She dried her good foot off quickly, knowing this would be much safer getting back to her room. Taking her time to allow the pain to diminish, Kurumu hobbled across the bathroom floor merely holding her damp towel in front of her.

Kurumu hopped out into the hallway only to stumble back against the wall at the surprising sight of another girl. Reflexively, Kurumu held the towel up over her bosom, though it did nothing to hide her tail or wings. She held still, glancing at the girl and aside multiple times, waiting for some sort of condemnation.

The girl merely stood there with a plastic sack in one hand. Her other hand was up, fingers gingerly touching the white stem of a sucker stowed away in her small mouth. There was a disinterested feel about those sapphire eyes.

Kurumu noted that the girl was wearing unusual attire. The blue sleeved, white shirt had a very wide opening at the top that bared both shoulders. It was hard to say if those black straps that wrapped over the shoulders were part of the shirt or something worn underneath, as the bands were much too thick to be lingerie. A small golden locket was hung by a dainty chain around the girl's pale neck.

A two sided pocket was stitched in the front of this baggy shirt right above a thick hem. Peeking out from beneath this hem was the accepted school skirt which served as the only sign that this girl was a student from Yokai and not some employee up here to clean something.

Even if the girl was skipping class, Kurumu doubted this girl would have anything pleasant to say.

“What?”

The girl shrugged.

“Yes, I'm a succubus. Do you have a problem with that?”

The girl tilted her head slightly.

“Should I?”

“I… uh… no. Do you not know what a succubus is?”

“A bat demon?”

If this girl truly did not know, Kurumu felt little reason to explain.

“I'm Kurono. Kurono Kurumu.”

“Shirayuki Mizore.”

Kurumu perked up at the familiar name.

“You're in my class.”

“I am?”

“Ms. Nekonome's class. She was wanting to speak with you.”

Shirayuki glanced aside, moving her plastic bag in front of her to grip with both hands.

“Oh. I don't know her.”

“She's your teacher.”

“Yes.”

The simplicity of the responses was a little annoying. Still, Kurumu did not want to carry out a long conversation in this hall holding only a towel.

“Could you… help me?”

“Hmm?”

Kurumu had half a mind to withdraw the request if the girl was going to make her beg for it. However, there was not much else Kurumu could do with her day after getting dressed, if that was even worth the trouble. Sitting around her room would be terribly boring and painful. She doubted she could force herself back to sleep.

“It's my leg. I, uh… fell yesterday. It's broken.”

“What do you want me to do?”

Kurumu slung her towel over her shoulder before holding out her left hand. The girl timidly drew closer, glancing at her sack with indecision. Though Shirayuki did not reach for her, she was close enough for Kurumu to touch. Pushing gently off the wall, Kurumu grasped the girl's shoulder and hobbled up against her.

A chilling spike stabbed through her palm and down her arm. She barely registered the numbing pain before her whole side pressed upon the girl. The cold was startling and intense wherever she touched Shirayuki's bared skin. Kurumu had to tear her hand off that frozen shoulder, but quickly clutched at the chilly fabric to maintain balance.

The bag had dropped to the floor and Shirayuki was gently holding Kurumu's sides through those long sleeves that conveniently covered Shirayuki's hands. Kurumu shivered uncontrollably, knowing that this girl was the source of this cold.

“Sorry. I… I… should have known better.”

Exhaling out a trembling breath, Kurumu shook her head.

“It's… room sixteen.”

“Okay.”

Leaving Shirayuki's bag behind, they slowly crossed the hall. It was not a very long walk, considering room sixteen was right across from the bathroom opening. Pushing the door open, Shirayuki helped Kurumu into the room and promptly walked off. Before Kurumu could make much protest, the girl returned with her bag in hand.

“Is that okay? I didn't hurt you?”

Before Kurumu could stammer out some sort of reassuring remarks, her stomach growled quite noisily. She flushed, leaning back against the wall while gripping her small belly with both hands. She laughed nervously.

“Sorry. I guess I'm hungry.”

Obviously she would be. The last meal she had enjoyed had been that small plate of rice with Burumoto back on Tuesday. She whimpered at the thought of having to leave the dorms to get something to eat.

Shirayuki dug around in her bag and held out a white cup.

“I have spoons if you don't mind.”

Kurumu took the offering, realizing it was a half-liter of vanilla ice cream. It was not exactly the sort of food she had in mind, but it was better than nothing. Kurumu hopped a couple steps further into the room. She wiggled slowly with her wings and back to the wall, easing down to the floor.

“You can close the door.”

Shirayuki handed Kurumu a little wooden spoon. The girl drew back the dead bolt so that the door could fully close. The girl pulled another half-liter out of her bag, which clearly contained a couple more. Setting the bag aside, Shirayuki sat down next to the door.

“Which room are you in?”

“Twenty four.”

Kurumu nodded, peeling off the lid before taking a small scoop of the treat. It tasted really smooth and sweet. She just knew she would have a stomach ache before long.

“So why don't you go to class?”

“I do.”

“You do?”

“Home economics.”

Kurumu frowned. She was taking that class as her only free elective, mostly because she had no real interests in anything else and doubted it would be a difficult thing to figure out. She did not recall seeing this girl there, but it was not like that class was one she paid much attention to the other classmates, since they were all girls.

“Maybe I'll see you in class.”

Shirayuki offered only a nod of acknowledgement.

“What about your other classes?”

Shirayuki shrugged, taking a mouthful of ice cream.

“Don't care much for them? Is it because you're cold?”

“It's too hot in the classrooms.”

“The home ec room is warmer than any other classroom I've been in.”

“I don't need the other classes.”

Kurumu laughed. In her opinion, she did not even need high school to do what she wanted to do. How was chemistry going to bring her any closer to her dreams of fashion and design?

“Okay, I won't bother you with your attendance. I'll leave that to Nazohashi.”

“Who?”

“Our class rep. I think she wanted me to bring you the assignments from class, but if you don't care, I won't bother.”

“Oh… okay.”

Kurumu frowned as she took another bite.

“Won't they kick you out of school if you don't attend class?”

Shirayuki shrugged and a slight smile touched the corner of her lips.

“It hardly matters as I think I have already found him.”

“What do you mean?”

Shirayuki glanced at the clock. Tossing her lid into the bag, she picked it up in one while holding her opened treat in the other. She got to her feet and gestured to Kurumu with her dessert.

“I have to go.”

“Already?”

“I was only going to take these to my room before going out.”

“You have a freezer in your room?”

“Sort of. Um… bye.”

Kurumu was unable to get up and do any sort of proper farewell to her guest. Before she realized this, Shirayuki had already slipped out the room, closing the door behind her. Kurumu sighed.

“Bye.”

* * *

Kurumu wondered how long it took for someone to die of hunger. That ice cream had somehow managed to make her more aware of her emptiness, causing these last few hours to drag on slowly. Occasionally a spasm of pain would pass through her body, distracting her from this awareness. When it got too much, a simple jerk of her left leg helped a lot.

Kurumu hoped she would be well enough to attend school tomorrow. Already her wings were feeling much better. It still hurt too much to hide them for more than a minute, so slipping out for a meal at the dining hall was risking too much exposure. Even if everyone knew, she wanted to continue as if they were all ignorant.

It was already after six. Kurumu groaned. She hoped Akashiya would show up soon. Kurumu figured she could convince the girl to take pity on her and bring something from the cafeteria.

Knowing she would have company, Kurumu had slipped into one of her stringy tank tops. Since prancing about in your true form was not a big deal in junior high, Kurumu owned a couple halter tops and tanks that would accommodate her wings. It was not much to brag about, considering how seldom her mother bought anything.

Her tail was more troublesome. Kids without tails failed to understand the issues that came with them. It was not a simple matter of wearing dresses or skirts. That ropy appendage had a terrible habit of lifting such things up when least expected.

Back in junior high, Kurumu had sliced open the back of a couple shorts before hemming the tear back solid as two flaps. She had also stitched in a pair of buttons, so the idea was to slip the shorts on while her tail was out and button up in the front and the back. It looked really nice, though running around as a human would mean she would have a hole baring the spot where her cheeks started.

Kurumu loved her tail almost as much as she loved her hair. She literally had to coil her tail about her calf to avoid stepping on it. It was that long and prehensile. She could pick things up with it, though brushing her teeth had proven a little too painful to try again. Unlike other creatures, her tail had very little to do with balance.

With a thought, she could open the spaded end, which had some sort of flexible straw in the center. She had no idea what it was for, but it certainly was too sensitive to play with. As for the rest of her tail, it was not any more sensitive than her legs. It had been a little annoying to deal with the guys that thought rubbing her tail would instantly turn her on. Her spade end certainly proved effective as an extra hand for smacking such idiots around.

As her leg was too messed up for slipping anything tight on, Kurumu had elected to simply cover her lower half with her sheets. Even panties had proven too painful to wiggle over her foot, let alone up her legs. If Akashiya said anything about it, Kurumu planned to remind the girl about seeing everything already so there was little point to put up with the pain.

Since the clock had quickly proven to be a poor form of entertainment, Kurumu had broken out her school textbooks. For the most part, students could simply take notes in class, so lugging a bunch of heavy books around campus was stupid. Only the language arts class would prompt students to read from the book, and Kurumu planned to decline any such requests. Unfortunately, without her notes she had no idea if she was reading the right material. She hoped they were starting from the beginning, as she had already glossed over sixty some odd pages of philosophical nonsense.

The only good thing about being so hungry and beaten up like this was that she barely registered the pain of isolation. That dull, familiar ache nagged at her like a fly in a swarm of bees. Short of some boy sneaking in to this dorm to spy on her, Kurumu knew this annoyance would not go away.

Her thoughts drifted to Aono and she blushed over the things she had done yesterday. She cared greatly that he had stood up for her in the face of Akashiya's true form. But even before that, her behavior had been terrible. She worried about starting a friendship with him when it had such an overly flirtatious origin.

She loved him. That was the easiest and most agreeable conclusion. Writing it off as anything else made her feel terrible about her actions. She doubted she could convincingly argue her way out of her conclusion, since love was a mysterious concept to begin with. People could suddenly love each other for no obvious reason. Kurumu felt this was exactly what had happened to her in this case.

But then what was she to do about Akashiya. The girl had said she was willing to die for him. While it might have been a lie, Kurumu could not be so certain. If those words had meant nothing at all and Aono's feelings meant nothing to Akashiya, Kurumu should not be alive.

It came down to what Aono wanted. Kurumu knew he had deep reservations about being with a vampire. But Kurumu had no idea if she was anything special to him. For all she knew, he might have thrown himself in harm's way to break up the fight with Saizou. While that was a noteworthy testament to his character, Kurumu did not like the idea of being categorized with Saizou.

She bristled at that possibility. She damn well better be more important than Saizou, considering she had almost begged him to take her virginity. She hoped he would never bring that up unless he planned to do it.

Kurumu could not fathom why she was so worked up over him. She kept coming back to the possibility of him being a witch, since those were close to humans and Takada had told her how important humans were to her kind. But there was another answer that she tried to brush aside that kept nagging at her. She was not the only species that could seduce the opposing gender.

Kurumu had heard in junior high about there being a male version of the succubi. She honestly did not know enough about this to make such a conclusion, considering the girls could have been lying to her out of spite. Still, Aono did have some special hold over Akashiya and it would also explain why Kurumu could not control herself in his presence.

Witch or male counterpart, Kurumu knew she wanted to be with him. It was not just want, but that she owed her life to him. If there was anything he desired that she possessed the power to give him, she would.

There was a knock on the door. Figuring her guest either had keys or was one she could not see at this point, Kurumu called to the door without looking up.

“Come in.”

She could hear a bit of fumbling and then the slide of a key. Her dead bolt was drawn back. As the same key was required for both locks, it would have to be removed and slipped into the knob in order for it to turn from the outside. The knob turned and the door creaked open slightly for her guest to slip in.

“Kurumu.”

Kurumu looked up at the pink haired girl, wondering why this girl was so rude. She sighed, but perked up at the scent of warm food. Pushing her books aside, Kurumu tried to get up on her knees. She cried out at the sudden pain that reminded her the leg could not do such things presently.

The food was set down near her as hands quickly closed about her shoulders. The hold was not really helping, but Kurumu grabbed at the sides of Akashiya's green jacket all the same. She held still for a couple mind numbing moments before letting go and rolling to the right.

“Kurumu. Are you okay?”

Grimacing, Kurumu ended up on her butt facing the far wall. She glanced over her shoulder at Akashiya and held her hands up.

“I'll take the food. What did you bring?”

“I thought you might be hungry. When I checked in with the housemother, she said you had not come down at all today.”

Kurumu shrugged, bobbing her empty hands emphatically.

“Enough talking. Hand it over.”

Akashiya giggled, picking up the plastic container and presenting it to Kurumu. Kurumu ignored the silly wench, pulling off the white top to unleash the lovely aroma in all its glory. She promptly grabbed up the roll from the platter and stuffed it into her mouth.

“It's a good thing I ran to the cafeteria first. I'm sorry it took so long getting back from classes. Ms. Ishigami was being really hard on me today.”

Kurumu paused, glancing at her guest. Akashiya was clearly troubled, but Kurumu had no idea whom this woman was. Instead of voicing her ignorance, she shrugged and grabbed up a morsel of glazed chicken.

“Do you have something to eat this with, or am I to use my fingers?”

“Oh, sorry, um… here.”

Kurumu popped the bite into her mouth before taking the chopsticks. Chewing twice and swallowing, Kurumu shrugged again.

“I don't know Ms. Ishigami.”

“She is the art teacher.”

Kurumu chuckled as she took down a mouthful of creamy noodles. The sauce was fantastic, but Kurumu refrained from shoveling the meal down her gullet. She slowed her pace, knowing that roll would hit that empty pit soon which should stave off her frantic instincts.

“You wasted your free elective with art?”

“I like art.”

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head.

“Your bunnies on your note disagree with you.”

“Those were puppies.”

Kurumu kept it in, deciding it would be okay if she took another bite as an excuse for not responding to that.

“Anyways, Tsukune agrees with me that she was being totally unreasonable.”

“Tsukune is in art?”

Akashiya nodded. That was a mild surprise. Kurumu could not imagine very many boys picking art as their free elective. Maybe he really was some sort of male counterpart trying to expand his base of female attention, despite his rather ordinary appearance working against him.

“What is Tsukune?”

“Huh?”

“Well, I know you are a vampire and probably the whole school knows I'm a succubus now, thanks to you two dragging me all around in my true form.”

“That's not true!”

The sharp denial caught Kurumu off guard. Akashiya's eyes wavered with emotions. Unsure of herself, Kurumu sought clarification.

“What happened then?”

“After the fight?”

“Yea. I woke up in my room naked, so… I figured you had to bring me here as I was.”

“My true form told Tsukune that if we were going to spare you, that we should bring you back discretely.”

Kurumu scowled. She regarded the plate, half the contents already devoured. Hunger lacked importance now.

“You talk of her like she is someone else.”

“But she is.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don't really understand it either, but…”

Akashiya paused, wringing her hands in her lap.

“Mother told me that I had to be sealed away, that I was too dangerous.”

“Sealed away?”

Akashiya pointed at the jeweled pendent resting upon the swell of her bosom.

“This rosary is an artifact designed to contain the power of a vampire that has lost control of itself.”

Kurumu frowned.

“But I fought with your true form.”

“Yes. If the danger is deemed great enough by her, I think my rosary can be removed. I don't really know how it works. It's only happened twice.”

Kurumu absently stowed a mouthful of noodles away.

“For years my mother talked about finding a way to safely remove the seal. It frightens me that the seal may be breaking.”

“I don't get it. If the seal was broken, why doesn't your true form stay out? How do you get back to you?”

Akashiya bowed her head, clearly troubled.

“I don't know. Tsukune says she willingly goes back.”

“Goes back?”

“She puts the seal back on.”

“That's kind of weird.”

“I don't understand it. But she spoke to me.”

Kurumu held out a hand.

“Okay, this is really weird, Akashiya. If I hadn't seen her in person, I'd probably think you are crazy right about now.”

“I know.”

“Right. But, I do know that the Akashiya that is here is not the one that broke me up like that. So… what did she say to you?”

“She told me that you would kill Aono.”

“When?”

“Before I found you in the infirmary.”

Kurumu shook her head, annoyed.

“I… I think she hears things. It’s not like either time when she took control.”

“What?”

“I don't recall anything about fighting you. I remember you stabbing me, and then the next thing I know, Tsukune is holding me and you are unconscious. I have no idea what happened.”

Kurumu felt terrible.

“I'm very sorry about that. I… I was very mistaken about how much you care for Aono.”

“No, that's okay. But what I was trying to say before was that she might have heard all those conversations with mother about her being a danger. So, maybe that is why she reseals herself.”

Kurumu set aside her platter of food, though there was not very much left to it as she had been gnawing away at it without really noticing her progress. Taking a deep breath, she leaned over and patted Akashiya on the head.

“I'm not going to pretend to understand half of what you said there. You're a crazy, confusing girl and I'll leave it at that. So… back to things I might understand. How did you bring an unconscious succubus into a dorm discreetly? My wings aren’t exactly door friendly.”

Akashiya smiled, straightening up.

“Well, I stayed with you while Tsukune ran to the dorm. He begged for the housemother for Nazohashi.”

“Nazohashi? Why her?”

“She’s our class rep. We didn’t know whom else we should ask.”

Kurumu sighed, supposing that was fine.

“So you guys brought Nazohashi out here?”

“We did, though she wasn't very pleased with this.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, wondering how tight lipped their class rep was. Knowing there was nothing that could be done about it now, she gestured to Akashiya to continue.

“I take it the three of you carried me?”

Akashiya laughed nervously. She was notably flush.

“Not exactly. None of us could carry you outright so Nazohashi sent Tsukune back to the dorms to get blankets and Burumoto.”

“Burumoto? How many people did you drag into this?”

“I assure you we did not drag you… much.”

“What?”

“Uh… Nazohashi said she saw you eating with Burumoto so she suggested having him carry you while you were wrapped up in a blanket. He was very, very capable of carrying you… by himself.”

“What the hell are you talking about? I'm only forty two kilos. You shoved me across a room and out a window without any trouble at all.”

“I was… tired.”

“Okay, maybe I'll believe that, but what of the other two?”

Akashiya puffed up.

“I don't want to talk about this. We got Burumoto because the others could not carry you for one reason or another. When we arrived at the dorm, Nazohashi and I carried you the rest of the way. Nazohashi realized that we did not have your door keys and that it was too late to go for them, so she begged the housemother for the spare key to get you in the room. Once there, she turned you over to my care and I did everything else.”

Kurumu did not care much for the extra hands involved in this mess, but at least she knew both of them. Burumoto would be easy enough to placate. As for the other, it was hard to say. The fact that the girl had helped at all was reassuring, considering she had slapped the class rep only hours before that point. The realization that her true form had not been nearly as compromised as she had feared brought a relief that felt so wonderful.

“I thought things would be so much worse for me.”

“Why?”

“Because nobody really likes a succubus.”

“Oh, that's not true at all. Tsukune and I very much want to be your friend. Don't you want to be our friend, Kurumu?”

Kurumu giggled. She had been seconds away from killing both of them. It was tough to swallow down friendship with that glaring error stabbing her in the back. While she felt extremely indebted to Aono, she did not feel any such obligation towards Akashiya.

She smiled at the girl, rolling the idea of this Akashiya not being the same as the true form. Dividing the two made her feel very regretful about her actions against this one, but the other…

“I can be your friend, Moka. Is that okay?”

“Yes! I would very much like that.”

The relief in Akashiya's voice was startling. The girl even rubbed a knuckle against each eye, though this hardly seemed something to cry over. It was not like Kurumu had never had a girl as a friend before. Just this morning, that Shirayuki had shared some ice cream with her. And there was Nazohashi. That girl had talked with her a couple times. That counted, right?

Fighting the tightness in her throat, Kurumu refused to make this anything more special than any other acquaintance she had made in the past.

“Well… as a friend… could you tell me what my classroom assignments are?”

It was a start.


	5. An End to Solitude

Kurumu yawned as she slipped on her shoes in the lobby. She hoped the teachers would pardon her for missing her morning classes, but she had forgotten to set her alarm last night. As she had went to bed still unable to keep her human form, it had not even crossed her mind that she would be okay this morning.

Not that she could call it morning with it being a little after eleven. She had woken up more than an hour ago. Figuring it was too late to run immediately to class, Kurumu had indulged in a long, hot shower with all the right cleaning products to make her feel fresh and desirable.

There had not been much else to her conversation with Akashiya last night. Once on the topic of schoolwork, they had not deviated till after eight at which point Akashiya left for bed. Kurumu had felt the early turn in rather strange, but Akashiya was yawning a lot there at the end and had said it was her normal bedtime.

As weird as she was, Akashiya had quite the knack for studies. Kurumu supposed she made up with intelligence what she lacked with common sense. Simply being around her had convinced Kurumu of the genuine innocence Akashiya possessed. If the girl had truly been as manipulative as Kurumu had initially suspected, such a visit would have never happened.

Kurumu still had her doubts about being friends with a girl she had tried to kill and had nearly killed her. That whole ramble about being sealed and her true form having a mind of its own had been the craziest thing Kurumu had heard in some time. She supposed it was possible since Akashiya had such a powerful true form. It was not like Kurumu had met any other creatures of such caliber.

Whatever the case was, Kurumu hoped to never see those terrifying crimson eyes again. The normal Akashiya might be silly and likely to continue stealing the attention, but at least she could help Kurumu out with her studies and possibly share some things about Aono. It would also be nice to be around a girl that did not immediately treat her like a lesser being.

The weather was pleasant today. She smiled up at the warm sun, taking in a deep breath of the spring scent that surrounded the dorms. With her schoolbag in hand, Kurumu started towards the dining hall. Having missed another meal, she wanted to get something else in her stomach before returning to class. She realized she would arrive around the lunch hour, but figured she could use that time to apologize to her teachers and make up any work she had missed. With Akashiya's help last night, she doubted there would be much.

She wondered what Aono would think when he saw her today. She quickly shook her head, not wanting to dwell anymore on that boy. Thinking too much about him had already made her act so stupid and she was not going to let herself do it again. She was pretty convinced he was a witch instead of the male version of her kind, since she remembered that slowly healing nip to the neck. It would have been nice to blame her bad behavior on some charm but she would regretfully have to own up to it and move forward.

Since society treated freshmen as the least important class of high school, her dorm was the farthest from the pathway to the school. The elliptical Kurai building stood along the route. Graveled walkways snaked through the rugged grass to the double doors of the cafeteria.

Yokai Academy did have quite the assortment of impressive architecture. While the standardized dorms did not look like much from the inside, the exterior facade comprised of an assortment of fluted columns, false balconettes, and watchful harbingers crafted out of the marble to rest upon random perches. Recessed between these columns were varying shades of gray brick pressed against each other with reddish black mortar that oozed out like beads of rotten blood.

Kurai was a very different building. The back half of it was nothing but a boring, brownish cement block structure with gray service doors for the employees to drag stock through. Though the building skillfully curved in many spots, the face always straightened out for an entryway.

In contrast, the rest of the dining hall was an odd assortment of twisted plates of black glass held together by a silver plated lattice. As the framework darted out in all different directions, holding sections that varied in shape and size, it gave off the appearance of a net being pushed to its limits to contain the darkness. While it certainly looked neat, Kurumu figured it would be hot as hell in there during the summer.

Kurumu closed in on the nearest set of doors. She had an odd feeling as she grabbed the handle and tugged the heavy frame open. It was an odd desire directed at her, causing her to glance about with confusion. There was nobody visible on the premises, since most of the students would be in school. Thinking it strange, Kurumu shook her head and slipped inside.

The cafeteria was devoid of activity. The many tables scattered throughout the expansive chamber were empty. Black racks hung from the ceiling by steel cables. Canned lights pointed in varying angles were fixed to these racks, though none were turned on presently despite the dark atmosphere. Even the brightest hour of the day would have difficulty penetrating those dark panes of glass.

Kurumu walked listlessly towards the open counters that divided the dining area from the kitchen. A woman wearing an apron over her sleeveless, blue blouse was slouched against the register. The device was almost useless since most students paid for their meals with the swipe of their preloaded ID card. Seeing no other souls nearby, Kurumu approached the woman.

The woman glanced over with all the enthusiasm of a cat being prodded to move out of the warm spot of a windowsill. A black hairnet was drawn over her curly, strawberry locks that were pinned up in a bun at the back of her head. Her greenish eyes were cut by a vertical sliver of black instead of the normal circular spot.

“May I help you?”

The drawl and tone hardly gave off the impression she was interested in doing so. With notable reluctance, the woman lifted up from the register.

“Can I get something to eat?”

“We don’t make lunch here on weekdays. No need to.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Kurumu disliked the idea of walking all the way to the academy to eat lunch there. Sighing, she turned away.

“If you want, you can pick something out of the freezers. We also have some packaged things like chips and cookies which you can get at any time if our doors are open. Lots of students stop in for snacks late at night.”

“Oh, really? Um… where is that stuff?”

With a disinterested look, the woman pointed off to her right.

“Thanks.”

“Freshmen, right?”

“Uh… yes, Ma’am.”

“Pretty thing like you should not be walking about campus alone. I swear, girls these days lack any sense.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes at the remark, moving off in the direction indicated. Normally the counter was filled up with different entrees set out on trays that had an index card with the name and price. At the far end of the counter were an empty cart and a stack of black trays. Usually different cups of vegetables and fruits were placed upon the many levels of the cart, all having the same price. This was where the line started.

Moving past the familiar spot, Kurumu noted the small snack section the woman had indicated. Having a notorious weakness for sweets, Kurumu had pointedly avoided looking into the trio of freezer carts. Aware that they would have almost no impact on the fullness of her stomach, she continued to ignore those devilish creations. Yesterday’s treat was good enough for the week.

The other pair of racks was similar to the convenience store shelves Kurumu had seen long ago. Her junior high had not had this sort of novelty, so the last time she had seen anything like this had been back in the fourth grade while holding her mother’s hand and pointing at the things she wanted.

By all that is holy they have chocolate!

Kurumu pouted, knowing she could but should not. She spied a small section of packaged sweet muffins. Bread was filling and different from the normal rice cakes. She grabbed up two of those, one loaded with cinnamon crumbs and the other boasting of banana goodness. She snatched a bag of nuts, figuring some protein would be nice. A citrus drink should round out this poor attempt at a healthy lunch. There was a vending machine on the other side of the register that had the juices and teas.

Kurumu headed back to the register, forcing the reluctant employee to do something productive. The woman grabbed up a cordless scanner, flashing the red beam over each item as Kurumu handed them over. The redhead did not bother saying the total as she gestured to the card reader while placing the items in a small, white bag.

Kurumu swiped her card and took the bag. She favored the woman with a slight smile and walked off to the trio of vending machines. Slipping her arm through the holes of the bag, she freed up her hand to rummage through one of her schoolbag’s side compartments for some change.

Dropping a couple coins into the slot, Kurumu punched the button for mango passion. Retrieving the can that tumbled into the silver chute at the bottom, Kurumu slipped the chilled beverage into her bag as she started for the door.

Figuring to eat as she walked, Kurumu unzipped a small pouch on the side of her schoolbag and tugged out the shoulder strap. She grabbed the hook on the end and turned her bag over to clip it onto the opposing ring. Kurumu ducked her head down as she lifted the strap over, letting it settle down so her schoolbag could hang effortlessly upon her shoulder across her body.

Kurumu rolled her eyes, annoyed at how the strap nestled between her breasts, but it could not be helped. If she did not cross her body, she would have to hold the strap the entire walk anyways. Sighing, she pulled out one of her muffins just as she reached the door. She leaned in, using her shoulder to push open the door as she freed her lunch from its plastic confines.

This banana flavored thing was not bad at all. After taking a couple bites off the side, she noted a thin layer was peeling off the bottom. Curious, she yanked it off, noting it was some thin paper like material. It was such an odd thing to wrap about food. With a shrug, she wadded it up and tossed it into her mouth.

Kurumu made a face, not liking the way that went down. She dropped the rest of her muffin back in the bag in favor of her drink. As the top was solid, Kurumu let one finger slice through the aluminum with a thought. Tipping her head back, she took a large swig to wash down the ragged thing in her throat. With a couple gulps, she felt much better.

Moving her drink to the hand with the bag looped through, she took her muffin back out to quickly finish it. With a glance, she noted she was walking past the collection of buildings that served as suites for those that could afford living in luxury. By her understanding, each suite had its own bathroom and exterior door, so it was not that big of a deal with them being co-ed.

The path was quickly taking her to the woods. Kurumu pulled out the other muffin, noting it also had that papery film wrapped about the lower half of the treat. This time she tossed both the plastic and the edible mold into her bag before devouring the delectable snack in five bites. She took her first couple steps into the forest as she washed down the quick meal with the rest of her juice.

The sudden feeling blindsided her. Before she could comprehend what was going on, an arm thrust about her body, hauling her up off her toes. Her scream became a gasp as she desperately grabbed at the arm in an attempt to loosen the grip about her neck. She kicked and flailed as her back pressed against something large.

“Careful now.”

A serpent tongue licked the side of her face as the arm holding her started to thin out. The sudden sharpness of the bone bit painfully into her hands, drawing blood.

“It's double sided when I want it to be.”

As threatening as that sounded, she had to keep struggling simply to get air. Terrified her aggressor was going to cut her head off or strangle her, Kurumu shot her tail out and flapped it about wildly. She struck something solid with the spade end that caused her attacker to stagger forwards, allowing her feet to touch the ground.

Bending back as he stumbled, Kurumu slipped out of his grasp to land on her back at his feet. Turning quickly on her belly, she scrambled through his thick legs. Once clear, she turned over and looked up at the back of the shaggy, bestial head of the creature.

This fight was over.

“You, bitch! I'm going to tear you apart!”

When he turned about, she caught his gaze with ease. She hammered him with thoughts of doubt, forcing him to question why he would attack her. He staggered back, clasping his head with an appendage that quickly reverted back to the likeness of a human arm. In moments, Saizou had completely changed back.

“What's wrong?”

“I… I… I don't understand.”

Kurumu spared a glance at her tattered bag, not sure where her last item had been thrown off to. She sighed, supposing this encounter had been inevitable. Getting to her feet, she brushed herself off.

“Is this about Aono?”

Saizou bristled at the remark. He looked upon her with renewed anger, but a quick glare subdued him.

“Yes. Why him?”

“What?”

“You were with him.”

“But I thought we established that Akashiya is the one you want.”

“Yes.”

“So what is the problem?”

Saizou growled. He was difficult to control because he frightened her. She kept having to think over and over that he wanted Akashiya and that she was only his friend.

“I… you could… do better.”

Kurumu laughed, breaking her line of sight as she dared not give him any ideas to fuel that statement.

“Saizou. We both know Akashiya hangs all over Aono, right?”

“Yes.”

The tone in his voice was murderous. Kurumu had to capture his gaze to keep him in check.

“Let me win over Aono. Once he and I are a couple, you should have no issue having Akashiya to yourself.”

Saizou stared blankly as she planted the idea firmly in his head. He nodded dumbly, yielding to her plan.

“Just trust me, Saizou. She'll never go to you if you harm Aono. So you must be patient.”

With a soft smirk, she nodded off in the direction of the path.

“Now hurry back to school, Saizou. You don't want to miss out on your lunch.”

“Yea. I am a bit hungry.”

With an absent step, Saizou started down the path towards the school.

Kurumu let out a heavy sigh of relief once he was out of sight. She had no intention of walking the normal way to school now, as she had no idea how long her charm would work on Saizou. There was no telling how he would come out of it but she really hoped he would not attack anyone.

Glancing down, she noted her tail was still out and sighed again. She drew it back in, aware that Saizou might have noticed it and realize what she had done. She hoped she had kept his gaze too fixated to notice anything beyond her eyes.

Feeling uneasy about things, Kurumu decided against lingering here any longer in case he did come back.

* * *

The rounds of bowing and scraping in the faculty lounge had been quite the awkward ordeal. Akashiya had neglected to mention her absence was supposedly due to a cold, something none of the teachers had believed to begin with given the sturdy constitution of most students. Though Ms. Nekonome had been very dismissive about the whole thing, Ms. Kagome had been very reproachful implying that she might have to tutor her personally if she fell behind.

Akashiya was so sweet it was silly. The welcome back to class had been a little too enthusiastic for Kurumu's tastes, though it did bring in some lovely attention. Embarrassed but pleased, Kurumu had quietly taken her seat.

As it was still the first week, the only notable thing they did in chemistry was find out their assignment for next week. Saizou's absence had been far more disturbing, though not worrisome enough to prevent her from taking notes. She would have to be careful.

As they got up at the sound of the bell, Kurumu noted how stiff and detached Burumoto behaved. He had barely acknowledged her presence, which bothered her, but did not surprise her. He knew the truth and likely would not have anything more to do with her. She could easily fix that with a glance, but she knew it would be a hollow victory. If that was how he wanted to be, she would respect it. It was not like someone else could not take his place.

“Hey, Kurumu!”

Kurumu nearly laughed at how quick this girl befriended people. She picked up her bag and offered Akashiya a smile.

“Yes?”

“What class do you have now? I never asked last night.”

“Home economics.”

Akashiya grinned sheepishly.

“Oh, that. I was never any good at that. My guardian honestly thought I was trying to kill him.”

Kurumu giggled.

“If it was that bad, you should have taken the class.”

“I don't know about that. It is a grade, after all.”

“Oh? It's not like they factor in your electives into your GPA.”

“I know, but I'd rather not set myself up for failure.”

“I totally understand, Ms. My Puppies Look Like Bunnies.”

“There's nothing wrong with my puppies!”

That remark drew quite a bit attention. Unable to meet Moka's gaze and keep a straight face, Kurumu glanced to the corner of the room.

“My puppies are better.”

“Oh yea? Let's see them!”

It was too much. Kurumu held up two fingers to Akashiya, shaking them gently. Realizing she did not have the time to bask in this stirred up perversion, Kurumu turned her little finger wag into a farewell.

“I'll show you in gym. I've got to go now.”

“That's no fair, Kurumu.”

Kurumu quickly made her escape before hearing any more complaints. A tingle coursed down her spine as she briskly walked down the hall in the direction of the labs. If this was going to be the typical reaction she drew from crowds with Akashiya around, it might not be so bad to be friends.

She had noticed this before, but she was the only girl from her class that headed down the stairs in this direction. It was not like her elective choice was unpopular. Ms. Hitori had said on the first day that they were fully booked so if anyone wanted to change to a different elective to let her know right away so another girl could have the vacant spot.

Kurumu wondered if she would see Shirayuki there. That strange girl had not been in chemistry today. It seemed so unlikely for anyone to single out home economics as the only class worth attending. What was that girl thinking? If she did not start showing up for all the classes, her expulsion was bound to happen.

As Kurumu arrived at the door to her elective, she decided that it was her duty to say something. She owed that much for the help and sweets from yesterday. Determined to find her estranged classmate, Kurumu stepped through the doorway.

The home economics room was easily the size of two laboratories. Several wing walls jutted out between the windows that looked out to the courtyard behind the school. A stove with an exhaust hood was built into each side of the wall. Cabinets flanked the stove and turned the corner. A two compartment sink was built into the counter top halfway between stations. To utilize the dead space between stations, an island with matching cabinetry served as additional workspace for prepping meals.

Lining the exterior wall were seven stations with two stoves each. There were two more stoves at the other corners of the room, built into the wall similar to the corner stations along the exterior. Between the two stations on the far side of the room was a door that opened into the dry goods storage. Inside that large storage area was a walk-in cooler and freezer. Naturally the teacher’s desk was centered in the room next to the interior wall on a slightly raised platform.

Ms. Hitori was already standing at attention behind the prep table that doubled as her desk. Beyond her, there was a second door to the corridor, though very few students came from the direction of the cafeteria.

The teacher had her arms crossed as she watched the students take their places. She wore a black apron with frills of lace stitched into the hems of the shoulder straps. The darkness contrasted sharply with the bright yellow blouse underneath.

Hitori Miko was the only teacher that had introduced herself with her full name. Her reddish locks were shaved short on the sides about her tiny ears, very much like a boy, though the woman still managed a healthy ponytail in the back. Her bangs were trimmed short and had a habit of moving of their own accord like they were alive. It was hard to say if she knew it or not, but occasionally Ms. Hitori's eyes would flash from hazel to gold during her lectures over procedures.

“Ah, Ms. Kurono. Glad to see you could join us.”

Kurumu smiled softly, wandering over to the teacher while glancing about the stations for signs of Shirayuki.

“I'm sorry, Ms. Hitori. I did not see you in the faculty lounge earlier.”

“That would be because I prefer not to be in that hornet's nest. You'll have to rely on your partners today.”

“My partners?”

“Yes, we assigned partners for first term the other day. You do remember that we were going to have our first assignment today?”

Kurumu shrugged, honestly having not paid much attention when she had been in class. She looked about with concern, wondering what she was supposed to do. Already several girls were taking up their stations, giggling amongst each other.

“You will be working at number fifteen with Shirayuki and Sakamori.”

“With Shirayuki?”

“Yes, is that a problem?”

“No… just surprised.”

“I see Sakamori is already here, so take your place and get to work.”

“Yes, Ma'am.”

Kurumu wandered somewhat aimlessly as she glanced at the stoves. Each stove had a white number stenciled in the lower right corner of the door. As she slowly walked in the direction of the freezer, she noted the stoves that she could see with ease went from nine to eleven. Fifteen would have to be the last stove up against the wall shared with the cooler.

Thinking that had something to do with Shirayuki, Kurumu took note of the redhead that was already busying herself with pulling things out from the cabinets. The girl was humming merrily to herself, bobbing her head in a manner that sent her carefully curled locks bouncing all over the place. Her hair easily could have stretched past her shoulders if it had not been turned into a complex mess of ribbons and bows that had no rhyme or reason.

Wondering what it was with all the redheads, Kurumu gave the girl a wide berth as she set down her schoolbag on a clear section next to the stove.

“Sakamori?”

The girl turned, favoring Kurumu with a very bright smile.

“Oh, hey, you must be Kurono!”

That high pitched squeak startled Kurumu. She forced a smile and nodded. She was about to ask about the assignment when she paused, slightly confused for a moment with the girl's appearance. One of her eyes was this faint blue while the other was a very rich green.

“Yup, I'm Sakamori! But you can call me Hinoko!”

“Uh… okay.”

“Wow! You're so pretty!”

“… thanks.”

“I guess we all are pretty though, seeing as how we get to change how we look as we please, right?”

That was not even remotely true, but Kurumu was not in the mood to correct her. Since they were talking about appearances, Kurumu gestured at the girl, wondering about the look.

“You're hair…?”

“Oh, you like it? I did it myself!”

Not even close to something worthy of bragging about.

“Yea. What is our assignment here?”

“Oh, yes, yes, yes! You weren't here yesterday!”

The girl simply smiled at the end of her statement. Kurumu frowned after a couple moments of prolonged silence.

“… yea.”

“Oh, yea! We're making cookies! Have you ever made cookies before?”

Kurumu had never been able to make sweets before. Supposedly when she was young, her mother had caught her eating handfuls of sugar out of the bag. After that, her mother rarely had the ingredients for such things in the pantry to be used or pilfered.

“You know what you're doing?”

“Oh, I've made cookies since I was eight. A little bit of sugar, flour, butter and sake.”

“Sake?”

“Of course. I wonder where Ms. Hitori keeps that. I checked in the dry goods but the only thing I found was cooking wine. That's no good.”

Kurumu highly doubted alcohol was needed to make cookies. With a nervous smile, she looked about the room for sanity. Several girls were making trips to the dry goods, some carrying bags of flour and sugar back to their stations. Glancing about her own station, she noted nothing but the pots and pans had been set out.

“Did you not get the other things?”

The girl smacked herself in the forehead.

“Oh, right! Sorry! I guess we can still make cookies without sake.”

Sakamori grinned as she pointed to the stove.

“I've already set the oven for preheat. I'll be right back!”

With an odd giggle, the girl skipped away. Sakamori had almost reached the teacher's station when Shirayuki wandered in the front door. The redhead favored the quiet girl with an overly animated wave before continuing on her merry way.

Shirayuki said nothing when she arrived, having the same disinterested look she had from the other day. She still had that familiar white stick in her mouth. She did not have a schoolbag, but she was holding one of those frozen treats from yesterday. She leaned up against the island across from Kurumu and reached into that front pocket stitched into the shirt that Kurumu knew was not official dress for the school. It was similar to yesterday's attire, though the sleeves were green today.

“Hey.”

Shirayuki shrugged at the remark, withdrawing a wooden spoon from her pocket. Tugging off the top of her treat, she took a scoop and stuffed it in her mouth.

“Are we allowed to eat in here?”

“Why wouldn't we?”

Kurumu frowned, supposing it probably was okay since they cooked in here. She thought about saying something about attendance, but decided against it for today. She could always bring it up later.

“Hey, you picked this spot?”

“Yes.”

“And me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I knew your name.”

There was a loud squeal. Kurumu glanced to the source and grimaced. Sakamori had fallen in the middle of the class and was now covered in a sheen of white powder. Several girls were laughing at the redhead's plight as Ms. Hitori reprimanded the girl and moved to assist. Sakamori pushed back up onto her knees, rubbed the back of her head and started laughing herself.

Kurumu favored Shirayuki with a dubious look.

“And you picked her?”

Shirayuki shrugged.

“Nobody else wanted her.”

Kurumu sighed. Shaking her head, she started off for the teacher. With Shirayuki empty handed and Sakamori having her own ideas on how to make cookies, it looked like it would be up to her to find out what they were supposed to do here.

* * *

It was the final hour of the day and it could not have come sooner. Apparently becoming partners in class was the same as friends in Sakamori's crazy world. She had insisted on walking with her new friends to their next class, somehow managing to drag an embarrassed Shirayuki to her first gym period. Thankfully Kurumu's locker was nowhere near Sakamori's so she was able to escape shortly after arriving in the locker room.

Her secret admirer had been pleased with her return. That healthy rush of desire made her whole wreck of a day worth it so she had spent extra time posturing and changing. If the girl next to her had not said something, she might have been late getting out to the track.

It was mildly disappointing that Shirayuki had not felt like joining their class. The strange girl had wandered off to linger by the fence, watching the boys run laps about the track. It had been quite notable considering no other students were excused from participation.

Kurumu thought about talking to Nazohashi about this, but felt that would be too intrusive. They still had not talked since that angry hallway exchange, so Kurumu had her doubts over how willing Nazohashi would be towards talking. It really was not her business if Shirayuki attended class.

Besides, with a quick glance about their room, Kurumu saw only two vacant desks in the five rows and five columns, and one of those belonged to Saizou. The other vacancy was in front of Aono, whom for all purposes had been only interested in Akashiya this past week. It was obvious that Shirayuki was reclusive, so sitting by Aono would not have changed much.

Absently, Kurumu flipped the lip of the small sack she held in her lap. She darted two fingers in and pulled out a tiny, sugar cookie. She popped it in her mouth, swallowing it down after a few seconds of chewing. They were pretty good for a first attempt, though not very satisfying for a nearly empty stomach. Dinner had never been so appealing.

Thanks to Akashiya's help last night, the short quiz at the start of the hour had been simple enough. Ms. Nekonome had collected up the papers, promising to have them graded and returned on Monday. She was now lecturing over a new subject and had already written down the reading assignment for the weekend.

The bell announced the end of the school day. Ms. Nekonome perked up with a bright smile.

“That's all for the day. Make sure to read your lessons and behave yourselves this weekend. For those of you who have not decided upon a club to join, there will be a rally during lunch and after school on Monday. These will be tender moments to look upon when you are older so please get involved as much as you can.”

There always seemed to be a few students that would groan over everything Ms. Nekonome had to say, normally boys. The teacher strolled out the front of the class, oblivious or uncaring about the discord. As she crossed in front of Nazohashi, the class representative stood up swiftly.

“Stand.”

Kurumu set her goodie bag down on her desk, got to her feet and followed the traditional protocol. She picked up her schoolbag from the two hooks bolted onto the side of her desk. She reached for her treats but her hand swiped through empty air.

“So what's this?”

Kurumu frowned at Burumoto, whom was holding her goodie bag. He reached in with his fat fingers, pulling out one. He held it up to his nostril and sniffed rather dramatically.

“Those are cookies.”

“Aw, you shouldn't have.”

He popped the morsel into his mouth.

“They're not for you.”

He made a sour face, dragging his tongue along his teeth in an awkward attempt to scrape the taste off.

“Ugh… so who are you trying to kill?”

Kurumu scowled, swiping the bag with ease out of his massive hands. She saw Akashiya wander out the back door latched to Aono.

“They are not that bad.”

“Much too sweet.”

“I like sweet.”

“Something like bean paste would be more satisfying.”

“You don't make cookies out of bean paste.”

“My mother would have to disagree.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, not wanting to drag this conversation into family recipes. She thought about stuffing her cookies into her schoolbag, but decided against it. Instead she pulled out the strap and hooked it, looping it over her head as she had done this morning.

“About the other day…”

“When you were injured?”

Kurumu nodded, holding her goodie bag and glancing off to the corner of the room. She could tell that most of the students had already left.

“Yea…”

A palm pressed to the top of her head. Though she doubted he meant to be so rough, his strength applied to tousling her hair caused her to stagger.

“I wondered about it, but it makes sense now.”

“Huh?”

“Pretty girls like you normally are a lot more confident.”

She bristled at the remark. She backed away from him, lifted her head but would not meet his gaze.

“I'm very confident. I'm the most attractive girl in this class and I know it. Akashiya is a close second, I'll admit, but still a second.”

Burumoto chuckled deeply.

“I was meaning the way you look at people. Anyways, I should be heading to practice. I don't know what your business was with Saizou, but I'd suggest you steer clear of him. Nothing good will come of dealing with a monstrel.”

Kurumu perked up at his mention of Saizou and practice. She had secretly hoped to convince him to walk her back to the dorms for that reason. Realizing that was not going to happen, she would have to walk quickly to make sure she was with someone on the trip back. Akashiya and Aono were first to come to mind.

Turning her nose up, she strutted past him.

“I can take care of myself, Burumoto.”

She heard him shoulder up his bag.

“Just be careful.”

It felt good to know he cared even without the charm. Still, she knew if she was going to pursue anyone in this school it would have to be Aono. He was different, which intrigued her, and in a way she owed him her life. He certainly was the sort to be too kind to criticize her first attempts at cooking sweets. Bean paste? What sort of creature preferred bean paste over sugar?

Kurumu quickened her step as she made her way down the hallway. In a few seconds she arrived at the grand foyer. She hurried down the luxurious staircase, heading for the main doors that were closest to the wide path that went back to the dorms.

She was catching up to quite the crowd of students at the main door. Only the upperclassmen were in clubs this early in the school year, so most of these gathered were her peers. Kurumu faltered a step, glancing about the crowd for a familiar face. Finding neither, she resumed her fast step, though with her short stature the only people she could out walk were the ones too busy talking to care.

As always, walking through a crowd drew some nice attention that she could not avoid. Even with the strap of her schoolbag somewhat holding her bounce in check, several boys wanted her. She even suffered a slight slap to the rump, which if she had the time, she would have put some respect into that boy. As was, her quick glance for the offender turned up nothing so she walked on out into the open courtyard.

Akashiya was actually fairly easy to find out here. There were not that many pink haired girls on campus. She was out on the path, slightly ahead of the rest of the students, but she was not moving. She was pressed up against Aono, her arms about him as her lips boldly pressed against his neck.

Kurumu winced at a sudden pain in her chest. Even knowing that this was probably just a meal for the vampire, Kurumu recognized most of the other students were thinking this was something intimate. Fuming, she stomped towards them, ignoring the whispered remarks of the self-righteous girls and the jealous stares of the boys.

Kurumu imagined several of these students had been present at the showdown in the grand hall. Calming herself, she walked up next to the apparent couple and held up her bag of goodies.

“Hey, Tsukune!”

Akashiya jumped, clutching her chest, as she quickly backed off Aono.

“I baked you some treats.”

Aono turned about, pale and with a dim look in his soft eyes. He forced a weak smile.

“Hey, Kurumu. Glad to see you are better.”

“Awww… is the parasite draining you of all your energy?”

“No! I wasn't! Well… not that much…”

Kurumu smirked, intentionally stepping in to his personal space. She held up the sack to him while gripping his arm.

“If you're too weak, I could feed you directly.”

“If anyone is going to feed Tsukune, it is going to be me!”

While Kurumu enjoyed the crowd's attention upon her over this rivalry, she was surprised at Akashiya latching on to his other arm like that and tugging him away. She was at quite the disadvantage here, holding her bag of cookies while Akashiya had also utilized the shoulder strap for her schoolbag leaving both her hands free.

“Feed off him is what you mean.”

“You're no different!”

Hell, she was losing this tug of war and Aono looked like he was about to faint. She tossed her cookies and latched fully onto him, holding his arm against her bosom. She took a deep breath in, loving the scent of him. The feel of him against her was not nearly as good as before, but that was probably due to his dim awareness of the situation.

“I'm sorry, Moka, but I heard from a reliable source that he wasn't seeing anyone.”

The opposing grip relaxed.

“But… but!”

“So since he's available, I decided that I'm going to be his girlfriend.”

“Tsukune is mine and mine alone!”

Akashiya darted in, this time planting her lips on the other side of his neck. Aono tensed up for a moment, offering a slight gasp. His breath rattled out and then his whole body went lax.

Kurumu shared in the panic as she tried to keep the boy upright.

“What did you do? Did you kill him?”

“No! I didn't! Tsukune! Are you alright?”

The attention from the crowd neared as curiosity won over. Kurumu glanced about, laughing nervously as she draped an arm over her shoulder.

“Um… we should get out of here.”

“But Tsukune!”

“Just help me carry him, Moka. This is your fault.”

“Okay.”

With an awkward laugh to the crowd, Kurumu staggered off with Aono. Though the first few steps were difficult, Moka eventually figured out a pace that matched Kurumu's stride.


	6. Presentation of a Girlfriend

It was a good thing Kurumu had gotten up so early this morning, as the simple task of making a meal for Aono had evolved into a huge ordeal. After having quite a heated argument with the apathetic staff at Kurai, Kurumu learned that while they would allow her to buy stock goods from them, they would not allow her to use their kitchen. Apparently all those students she had seen bringing boxed lunches either lived in the suites which had personal kitchens or they knew someone that did.

Kurumu had resisted the urge to give up at that point, mostly because this whole Aono thing confused her. It had not taken long into the walk yesterday for this inexplicable desire to rub against him to surface. With him barely conscious, there was no telling what she would have done if Akashiya had not been present.

It had been difficult to let go of him all throughout dinner. She had lots of good reasons to sit so close to him, pressed up against his side. He had needed the support. It had been easier to spoon feed him. Being glued to his side intensified the desire from the other boys. It also annoyed the hell out of Akashiya.

Despite all these good reasons, the truth of not wanting to let him go bothered her deeply. It frightened her that there was a part of her that genuinely wanted to be his girlfriend and not simply out of some sense of obligation over him saving her life or some fascination with him being her first experience with a witch. She had to speak with him. She had to know what exactly he wanted from her.

She knew he had stood up for her, protected her, and had expressed a desire for friendship. But these words had been spoken to the true form of a girl Kurumu had no doubts he cared for. He had not spoken with her since that altercation, so it could possibly have been only words to placate Akashiya. He had been so out of last night that she doubted he would remember anything he had said, though most of it had been groans and unintelligible mumbling.

They had probably carried on like idiots for the better part of an hour before some guy had stopped over to put an end to their squabble. He had introduced himself, though Kurumu could not recall his name as she had been thoroughly distracted at the time. She did remember him saying that he was on Aono’s floor and would help the poor guy get back to his room before the two of them accidentally killed him. Akashiya had tried to protest but his remarks of them not really caring for Aono's welfare had quieted her.

He had been a very tall fellow with blue eyes as deep as the darkest recesses of the ocean. With ease, the young man had hauled Aono over his shoulder and walked out of the mess hall. Naturally, both of them had recovered from their shock to follow the guy and make sure that he at least did carry Aono to Chikara, the freshmen boys’ dorm. Kurumu had waited another fifteen minutes with Akashiya before leaving the girl alone with those silly worries over Aono’s safety. Surely the guy would have done something by that point if mischief had been his true intention.

Barely able to get any sleep at all last night, Kurumu had started the day with the sole purpose of defining her relationship with Aono. She clung to Aono’s statement of having no relationship with Akashiya. He had not been under any charm and he had told her flat out that he was not seeing anyone. It was not the sort of thing a guy that was serious about being with a girl would say. While it was clear Akashiya felt otherwise, Kurumu doubted his feelings could have changed that quickly. So… maybe… if she was assertive enough she could convince him that she should be his girlfriend.

That was why making a meal for him was so important. Providing a meal for her man was the traditional expectation of a woman. All the media she had seen clearly supported this, though Kurumu had undergone heavy criticism when she had tried to do such things for Takada while under her charm. She had stopped her efforts, realizing their accusations were right to a degree.

But this time it would be different. She vowed not to charm him. This was not going to be some crappy relationship like her mother flaunted back at home where the men did all the housework. Even if it only ended up as a friendship, it would still be so much more than that selfish woman had ever bothered to show her.

Determined, Kurumu had purchased the goods from the troublesome workers at Kurai, figuring she could break into the home economics room if she had to. Thankfully such drastic measures had not been required. Ms. Hitori had already been working in the room and allowed Kurumu to do what she wanted provided she cleaned up anything she soiled. The teacher had even helped a little with the process under claims of damage control.

Kurumu glanced at the silver dial held to her wrist by a thin cord of black leather. It was nearly nine, but as it was Saturday, she hoped he had slept in else she would really be disappointed. If he had already slipped off to breakfast, she supposed she could store this meal in his room till the lunch hour rolled around.

Chikara had very little in common with Baratoge. Tiny slits of glass masqueraded as windows recessed in a dour, brown brick face. It was a taller building with open stairwells on both ends. There was a door at each level with a card swiper for entry instead of an overhead scanner. Though she had not seen it personally, Kurumu expected a central corridor connected the two stairwells with private rooms on either side.

Unlike Baratoge, the boys’ mailboxes were built into a standalone shack several paces out from the center of the ground floor. There were no shoe lockers or even a main foyer as the ground floor was either locked up or open to the public. There was not even a door to the laundry room and she had seen some girls hanging out in the recreational room last night.

There did not appear to be any staff at Chikara to monitor the coming and going of guests. While this probably gave the boys more freedom, it certainly made it more difficult to find out where someone lived. Kurumu only knew that Aono was somewhere up on the fourth floor.

Kurumu took a deep breath. Firming her resolve, she started for the stairwell that guy had taken Aono up last night. She gripped tightly at the flat, wooden handle of the insulated container Ms. Hitori had allowed her to borrow. She was supposed to wash it up and bring it back on Monday since the home economics room would be locked up tomorrow.

It was a perfect day for a picnic with the sun already beating down so warmly upon the ground. The gentle breeze brushed across her skin, unable to stir up the pastel green tank top that clung tightly to her bosom. Unlike a normal tank top, the two straps of cloth that extended from the swell of her bust came together at the back of her neck. Once joined, the fabric stretched down the center of her back till it met the rest of the garment halfway down her torso.

Kurumu had really wanted to wear her shorts, but realized her modifications would be too obvious. She certainly did not want to walk around broadcasting that she had a tail. Yielding to reason, she had slipped into one of her school skirts, figuring it was cute enough to go with her top. Red or black certainly would have been so much better, but she had to work with what she had. She wished her color changing abilities extended to apparel.

She reached the stair, noting it was easily wide enough for three people to walk abreast. She touched the handrail, but quickly retracted her palm at the icky wetness now lovingly smeared across her hand. Grimacing, she wiped her palm across the top of the grainy cement wall.

Thinking how gross boys were, she walked up the first half flight of stairs. As she reached the first landing, she felt the approach of admirers. With a glance she confirmed that a pair of students were standing on the next landing, frozen by her charms.

If she had not been so focused, she might have enjoyed their attention as she walked up towards them. Already short, she imagined the two were getting quite the eyeful as she closed in on them. She smiled in their general direction before reaching their spot, turning tightly to start up the next half flight.

She shivered as she ascended, aware that the two were now eagerly attempting to see up her skirt. It felt great knowing that she must look awesome to stir up such a strong desire without even trying. The encounter was better than most of her experiences on the school grounds.

It was not long before she reached the fourth floor. Mounted on the frame of the glass door was the slot for the card that she had noticed last night from a distance. She frowned, realizing that was all there was. There was no button to buzz in or speak with an attendant. Sighing, she held her burden with both hands before her, regarding the door with a forlorn expression.

She had somewhat expected this to happen, but she figured if she waited long enough, a student would come out or return from the dining hall. With another sigh, she backed away from the door to lean against the half wall. Thankfully the landings did not have a railing, so there was no nasty surprises for her. The chill of the stone felt good against her back.

She liked this open concept. She closed her eyes, smiling as the breeze tickled across her cheeks, kicking her bangs all about. Her ribbon did not budge in the slightest, very securely tied about her ponytail. Pressing her rump firmly to the wall, she crossed her right leg over, toes gingerly touching the floor.

The door popped open with an audible click.

“What are you doing here?”

With the door being glass, Kurumu had expected to feel the approach of any boy. She was startled, awkwardly hopping to attention before regarded her unexpected companion. She frowned immediately, recognizing the guy as the one from the other night.

He regarded her through half lidded eyes, holding the door open with one hand while scratching behind his ear with the other. His hair was a wild tangled mess of inky black locks, betraying a recent awakening though his lack of apparel did him no favors. Topless, the guy was not all that impressive. The drawstrings of his navy blue sleep pants bobbed gently in the breeze.

“I came to see Aono.”

The guy yawned grandly, stepping barefoot out of the hall and letting go of the door. The portal swung in to rest against his torso.

“What for?”

What was with the twenty questions? She stared at him, wanting to charm him out of her way, but his eyes were barely open and his attention was clearly upon the landing beneath them.

“Which room is he in?”

“Nineteen.”

He waved towards the opening.

“Just try to keep it down. Some of us are still trying to sleep.”

Kurumu scowled, shaking her head as she stepped past the tall guy. The first thing she noted was the rank stench in the air. It was so thick she could taste it in her mouth. Once the door shut behind her, the foulness quickly stagnated about her.

“Don't breathe in too deep. That's Gomitsuro. Can't keep his form while he sleeps. You get used to it after a while.”

Her guide wandered off in front of her.

“Luckily he sleeps all the way at the other end of the hall. Nineteen is right here.”

The boy gestured to a room on his right. He walked past two more doors before ducking into the open room on his left. The door slammed shut with quite dramatic finality.

It took much will to advance further into this cesspool. Almost feeling sick to her stomach, she noted the first door was twenty five. Taking a shallow breath, she held it in as she walked three doors down to her destination. Turning sharply, she knocked hard on the door. She worried it might have sounded a bit too frantic but getting out of this hall was urgent.

Kurumu was so happy to see Aono when he opened the door. She only glimpsed his white tee shirt before she dove into it, burying her face against his chest and breathing deeply of him. His scent was so much better than what the hallway had to offer.

“Kurumu!”

“Hey!”

The feminine protest startled her like that time she had discovered forks do not go inside the slots where the plugs for appliances normally go. She jumped so sharply that she winced from the impact of the top of her head crushing the bottom of his jaw. She only snapped out of her shock when he tried to pull away, causing her to grip firmly to his shirt.

“What are you doing here?”

Kurumu turned her head aside, finding the source of her agitation. Akashiya was getting to her feet across the room, her hands clenched in fists as she scowled at Kurumu. The vampire was dressed in the school uniform, which seemed quite a sad thing to do on a day of leisure. Knowing she easily looked more interesting than that, Kurumu stuck her tongue out.

“Kurumu… I, uh… what's this?”

It felt so good pressed up against him like this. He was so warm and she could hear the rapid beat of his heart. Even despite that horrid stink trickling through his open doorway, she could taste that welcome desire directed upon her body. It was far stronger than it had been yesterday, likely as wonderful as it had been on their first encounter.

“Hmmm? What's what?”

“That.”

Kurumu nuzzled her cheek against his shoulder, loving the way it felt and it certainly did not hurt to see how agitated Akashiya became over such a small thing. She had no idea what he was confused about, considering she had hugged him before. Perhaps it was her awesome outfit that he was curious about. But she did not want to step away from him just so he could admire that. Not unless he wanted her to take it off.

Akashiya darted in and grabbed him by his arm.

“Let go of him!”

“Moka!”

The vampire tugged him so hard that all three of them went down in a heap. Kurumu did not mind so much as she fell squarely atop Aono, though the jarring impact to her hands did sting some. She could feel his inner thighs pressed to her hips which only made her want to wiggle and rub closer into him. It felt so good.

“Food?”

The breakfast! Kurumu snapped out of her trance, noting her luggage had bounced against the floor. The lid had fell open, letting the lovely aroma of the meal fill up the room. Thankfully very little had spilled across the floor. Kurumu picked herself up, her knee coming down.

“Aaaaahhhh!”

Kurumu quickly pushed off him, realizing immediately what she had done. She blushed deeply, regarding his black pants before tearing her gaze away. Doubting she could say anything that she would not immediately regret, Kurumu crawled over his twitching, upright knee to salvage the breakfast.

“Aw, Tsukune, are you okay? Show me where she hurt you.”

Kurumu whirled about.

“You will not!”

Aono had rolled aside, curled up in a fetal position, holding those that were most precious to him. Akashiya was kneeling over him, shaking his shoulder as she continued to badger him about his injury.

Kurumu sighed, shaking her head as she righted the container. It was a good thing she was not that hungry as she suspected she would have to feed three.

* * *

Kurumu stretched her arms up over her head, pleased with the quality of her meal. The workers had been very stingy about what she could take in place of a swipe from her ID card. It would have been a stretch to feed two people with the couple eggs and bit of rice they had given her to work with. It was a good thing Ms. Hitori had not minded Kurumu taking some additional stock.

Under Ms. Hitori’s encouragement, Kurumu had stuck with making the simplest of omelets and padding a few rice balls. Cooking up the meal proved easy enough, despite her worry of burning the eggs to the pan. Actually, now that she had done it once, she wondered how anyone could do such a thing since it was obvious that when the milk and fluids were mostly gone, the dish was ready to be served up. Forming the rice into presentable shapes had proved far more difficult.

After Aono had recovered from his unfortunate accident, they had evacuated the smelly premises. He had acted reluctant to join her, but she had persuaded Aono to not let her meal go to waste. It was no surprise that Akashiya refused to be left out.

Kurumu had overheard some of the girls gossiping in the lobby that there was a very beautiful place on an open cliff side overlooking the ocean. Figuring it would be an easy enough place to find, she had hoped to bring Aono there to have their private conversation after breakfast. However, with Akashiya around, Kurumu begrudgingly abandoned such romantic plans.

Without an idea, Kurumu suggested Akashiya to take them somewhere to eat. It had been cute watching the vampire worry over a suitable location, though a bit worrisome when Akashiya landed an idea that she was so happy about. Kurumu was still undecided if she was more disappointed or relieved that somehow this great place Akashiya thought was perfect for a picnic turned out to be the cemetery next to a small chapel.

Kurumu did not know much about the whole Christianity thing and thankfully neither did Aono. Akashiya knew enough to be confusing, eventually summarizing the whole thing as something she did because her guardian these past years was a priest so this was a familiar, comfortable place for her.

Kurumu groaned with contentment, letting herself fall back to the soft dirt that surrounded the warm, flat headstone she had been sitting on. She closed her eyes, breathing deep of the earthen scent of the freshly dug graves nearby. This lovely feeling was quickly accompanied by his simmering desire, no doubt instigated by how poorly her top covered up her lacy, white bra.

Quite intentionally, Kurumu folded her hands beneath the swell of her breast. With a soft smile, she cinched the fabric between her thumb and forefinger and tugged her top down ever so slightly. She felt so full in every way she had ever been before.

Akashiya cleared her throat. Kurumu lazily opened an eye, noting that the pink haired girl was walking over towards her. With no subtlety at all, Akashiya plopped herself down to block that lovely stare from Aono. Akashiya smiled brightly at her.

“That was a good meal, Kurumu.”

Pouting, Kurumu lifted up on her hands back to a seated position.

“Thanks.”

“So… now that we are done eating… what do we do?”

“I… uh… don’t know.”

Kurumu sighed.

“I thought you two were going to be my friends.”

“Of course we are!”

“I’m sorry, Kurumu. I… uh…”

With how quickly they were protesting her remark, Kurumu smiled despite her disappointment.

“I guess it wouldn't hurt to… talk. Is that fine by you two?”

“That sounds fantastic!”

“Uh… yea… okay.”

Akashiya toyed absently with the hem of her skirt, apparently uncaring about her bare knees pressing to the dirt. The vampire kept quiet, smiling slightly while glancing over at Aono.

Kurumu uncrossed her legs, drawing her knees up. She lifted up to free the hem of her skirt so it would not pull when she sat back down on the headstone. Crossing her arms about her knees, she rested her head on her forearms.

Aono frowned, scratching the side of his head. The container sat next to his crossed legs, the lid at its side. He glanced to Akashiya and smiled for a moment, though the frown quickly returned once he looked away in thought.

Kurumu sighed, feeling very much unwanted.

“So what’s with the outfit, Akashiya?”

“Huh? My outfit?”

“Yea.”

Akashiya was visibly nervous about the subject. Aono was pointedly looking away.

“So… don’t you own anything casual?”

“Of course I do!”

“So… what’s the deal?”

“I… uh…”

Kurumu frowned as this was starting to sound very suspicious.

“Those aren’t the clothes you wore from last night, are they?”

Akashiya cringed, bowing her head.

“What the hell! You weren’t waiting out there all night, were you? How stupid can you be?”

“I’m not stupid! I was very worried!”

“Maybe you should run along back to the dorms and get freshened up. I promise to take good care of him while you are gone.”

“I can’t do that!”

Kurumu bristled at the remark.

“Why not? Is there some reason I can’t be alone with him?”

Akashiya regarded the dirt, stricken with anxiety.

“I… I… uh… I…”

“Actually, what the hell were you doing in his room anyways? How did you get in? When did you get in?”

Akashiya was trembling and tears began to well up at the corner of her eye.

“Kurumu. Please stop.”

Kurumu winced at the firm remark. Her heart twisted painfully, realizing he was going to side with the vampire. Clutching her breast, Kurumu staggered to her feet, angry with their lies.

“But that’s not fair! Why do I have to stop? Did you two know each other before coming here?”

“Um… no… but…”

“Then why? Why is it okay for her to be alone with you but not me?”

“Because if you kiss him, he’ll become your slave!”

Kurumu scowled, whirling about on her accuser. Akashiya’s fists were clenched in her lap, but would not meet Kurumu’s furious gaze. Short of Aono being a human, which was ridiculous, this claim was nothing but a sad attempt to scare Aono from having a relationship with her.

“You really are stupid, aren’t you?! I’ve kissed a boy before and he didn’t become my slave!”

Akashiya bowed her head.

“That’s what she told me.”

“I don’t care what she told you! I’m sick of your lies! You never wanted to be my friend and now you are just making stuff up because you don’t trust me! He doesn’t even want you!”

“That’s not true! Moka is very important to me. She is…”

“A parasite, using you for your blood! You said it yourself. The only reason she wants to be your friend is to suck your blood!”

“But you made me say that!”

Kurumu flinched, astonished by his treachery. She wanted so badly to look him in the eye to see for herself if he believed this falsehood, but she could tell by the tone of his voice that he truly believed she had planted those thoughts in him. He apparently could not be honest with himself.

“Liar.”

“This has already been explained to me, Kurumu. You can charm a man by looking into his eyes and make him do anything you want him to do.”

“Liar! I hit you with a strong suggestion of not wanting to talk to her! You came up with your own damn reasons to end the conversation!”

He faltered back a step, clearly uncertain.

“Just like you lied about wanting to be my friend! I should have known better than to expect anything else. Go ahead and be her blood bank, you asshole! I’m sorry I even tried!”

Kurumu turned on her heel and ran off, clutching at her chest. It hurt so much, but she dared not stop. She had to get away from their lies. She hated them. All that effort this morning only for them to turn around and treat her like a manipulative succubus, just like every other bastard she had ever known.

The pain was too much, causing a stagger to her pace. She collapsed on her knees, her stomach lurching from the intense pain in her core. She retched hard, her whole body shivering as it came up in three full gouts. It burned her throat and stung her nose, the sickening scent making her feel only worse. She coughed and sneezed, nasty chunks expelling from cavities they had no business being in.

Trembling, Kurumu crawled away from the mess, her body still wracked with pain. This building pressure of pain would not go away. She collapsed on her side, curling up into a ball with her eyes closed tight. Every muscle in her body tensed up beyond her control.

Why did it hurt so much? She could go several days without the direct attention of a male before the pain ever got to this level. She was losing focus, unable to think through this darkness threatening to swallow her up.

“Momma.”

* * *

It felt so familiar. Gentle fingers moved pleasantly through her hair, tips brushing lovingly against her scalp. Her cheek pressed against a warm, soft surface. She could feel the warmth of the sun washing across her body while a gentle, familiar coolness swirled about her core, staving off the nagging hunger.

This calm feeling had happened before, so long ago. It had been a rare moment, one so hard to forget, when a mother actually acted like she had cared for once. So bittersweet a memory, tearing away and spitting out venomous words at a face that so seldom was caring and sincere. And despite how cruel she responded, the woman had remained kind and quiet, radiating with that strong feeling that quelled the pains of her lonely heart.

Kurumu nuzzled up against the pillow, grasping at the oddly shaped surface. Her eyes slowly opened, noting the smooth fabric her hand touched. She shifted her legs, realizing a heavy sheet had been draped over them. The slight rustle caused the cover to slip down her thigh, baring a small slice of skin below her short skirt.

“You’re awake.”

It was Aono. She was confused, as this did not look like the forest. As she lifted up on the elbow she had pinned beneath her, Kurumu realized they were out in an open field of dirt and grass. Looking out, there was nothing but sky and the distant horizon.

She squeezed her soft perch, glancing down with slight confusion. Why was she in his lap? She scooted back, rolling onto her knees as she held herself up on her palms pressed to the dirt next to his thigh. She turned her eyes to his face but quickly glanced aside.

“I’m sorry.”

Her body felt flush as a surge of lust drenched her core. Her heart trembled with indecision. She wanted so much to hate him but every fiber of her being demanded her to reach out to him. Her fingers dug into the dirt as her body shook uncontrollably.

“Are… are you okay?”

Kurumu licked her lips.

“Where’s Akashiya?”

“She went back to the dorms to change her clothes.”

“It must have been hard for her.”

“Huh?”

“To risk leaving you alone with a person like me.”

“I… I’m sorry, Kurumu.”

“Don’t call me that. You don’t really know me.”

His hands gripped her shoulders, forcing her back on her knees. The cover drawn over her fell to the ground, Kurumu finally realizing it was Akashiya’s school jacket. She clenched her small hands into fists, drawing them tightly to her abdomen as her only defense.

“Kurumu, please, I’m sorry. I truly am. I… this is all… I… I don’t really understand things.”

Kurumu clenched her teeth. It felt so good for him to touch her.

“Kurumu… I’ve never had a friend that was a girl before. I… I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“With me?”

“With either of you.”

He sighed heavily.

“I woke up this morning and Moka was already in my room. I guess the guy that helped me to the room last night saw her lingering about and let her spend the night with me.”

Kurumu’s lower jaw quivered as she struggled to accept this.

“So that’s it then.”

“Nothing happened! I swear that nothing happened.”

“That’s not normal, Aono.”

“Please, Kurumu. Please call me Tsukune.”

“Why should I? We’re not even friends.”

He sighed again.

“You know, we both spent quite a bit of time looking for you after you ran off. And I’m sorry. I guess… I guess I was worried about Moka’s interests in me. She is a vampire, you know.”

“I wasn’t lying.”

“I know, I know. But… that day… Moka was very clear how she felt about me. So… I’m not worried anymore.”

If Kurumu had anything left in her stomach and could vomit at will, she would have retched simply so he would know how disgusted she was with this remark. The thought that she had brought the two of them together was painful. She could already feel that pressure pain building within her core once again.

“Am I supposed to be happy that you two are a couple?”

“We’re not a couple!”

The quick denial shocked her. She looked into his eyes, noting the genuine frustration before his gaze became subdued. She glanced away, moving one hand up to cover her mouth.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

She paused, having no idea if she had charmed him or not. She allowed several seconds to pass without comment.

“So… nothing happened last night.”

“Nothing that I’m aware of. Though my neck is really sore. How many times did she bite me yesterday?”

Kurumu licked the tips of her fore and middle fingers. Timidly, she reached up and touched the side of his cheek. It was no real surprise that he quickly withdrew his hands, likely afraid of her. While disappointing, it guaranteed he was not under her charm.

“You still don’t trust me.”

“No, no, it’s… I’m not sure…”

“Tsukune?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve had a boyfriend before. Not a real one, I guess, since I used my charm to win him over. But yea… he was the only boy I have ever kissed.”

“What happened?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“It wasn’t real. Deep down, I knew a good part of why I did it was because all the girls hated me. Takada was the most popular boy in school so taking him was a way of getting back at them all. I wanted it to be more than just that, but I was only fooling myself.”

“Moka doesn’t hate you.”

“How can you be sure of that? If you had not intervened, you know she would have killed me.”

“I… uh…”

“Tsukune. I want a real boyfriend. I want you to be my first.”

“I… can’t.”

“Because of her.”

“Please understand, Kurumu. What were you thinking when you thought I was with Moka as a couple?”

“What do you mean?”

“Um… where did you see yourself in that?”

“In what?”

He sighed with exasperation.

“I’m saying that if we were a couple, where does that put Moka? Do you understand that?”

Impulsively, she did not give a damn where that put Akashiya. On further thought she did recognize his concerns. She had not seen the vampire hang out with any other students this week.

“Akashiya could be popular with the girls if she wanted to be. It’s not like being a vampire would hurt her reputation.”

“Moka does not have the same confidence you have about that. She’s spent the last few years in the human world without any friends because they thought she was lying about being a vampire.”

“… … … … … is she that much of an idiot?”

“I… uh… she is pretty naïve, I guess.”

“In the right club she would make tons of friends.”

She smirked at a thought.

“I bet she’d make an excellent cheerleader.”

“But that’s not what I want… er… though the thought… I… uh… she won’t do it.”

Kurumu giggled at his flustered delivery.

“I know, she probably won’t. She’s stuck to you like a tick.”

“I guess… I don’t know. I want us all to be friends. I am sure of that.”

Kurumu smiled, thinking he was also very naïve to believe he could keep the two of them as friends.

“You realize I am a succubus?”

“Yea?”

“I am very aware of how much you want my body.”

Simply saying it intensified his desire for her. She shivered with pleasure, resisting the urge to snatch him up in her arms.

“I… uh… well… you are… very pretty.”

“And I could simply make you mine if I really wanted to. You know, I once charmed a whole bunch of boys at a pep rally just to see if I could do it.”

“Kurumu.”

His tone was a bit shaky. She smiled, though she could feel his desire for her faltering with his concern.

“I’m not going to, Tsukune. I really meant what I said. I want to be a real girlfriend to you.”

“But… Moka.”

“I’ll be the best friend she has ever had if I have to. I’ll do anything, if you’ll say yes.”

“But that’s not what I want. I don’t want you to pretend you are her friend.”

Kurumu sighed.

“If she can’t tell the difference, does it really matter?”

“It does to me.”

Kurumu sighed again, glancing at his legs. She got back down on her palms and crawled towards him. He fell back on his butt, attempting to scoot away.

“Kurumu?”

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

She grabbed him by the ankle as she neared. She could feel the heat swell in her body as she touched the inside of his knee, forcing his legs open. Her strong hold prevented his escape, though he tried to halt her approach with a palm to her shoulder.

She turned in his space, seizing his wrist and draping it over her shoulder as she snuggled her back up against his chest. This was so much better. She could relax her head on his shoulder, without constantly trying to keep her eyes averted.

“Kurumu.”

She could feel the rapid beating of his heart against her. She slipped her hand from his wrist to his palm, trailing her fingertips against his skin. It felt so wonderful that she closed her eyes from the sheer contentment this washed over her body. She absently rubbed his knee with her free hand.

“Kurumu.”

His breath was short and hot against her ear. She could feel the swell of his arousal in every sense of the meaning. She shuddered at the thought.

“Kurumu?”

Kurumu swallowed, her throat dry.

“Tsukune. Please… don’t hate me.”

“I… would never.”

She licked her lips as she intertwined her fingers in his.

“Would you… touch me?”

His heart quickened, the desire pouring out of him causing her whole body to tremble with anticipation.

“Touch… you?”

She turned her hand about in his, tugging it up. She pressed his palm to her breast, squeezing the back of his hand. She breathed deeply, relishing the soft, timid response of his palm.

“Can you feel it?”

“Y-yes.”

She pushed his hand down firmer against her breast.

“My heart is beating so fast.”

“Y-yes.”

She backed her feet in, bringing her knees up. This was so unreal. Her mind could not reconcile with the wants of her body. The more she tried to understand why he had such a strong pull upon her, the less she cared to fight against it.

“Tsukune. I am your girlfriend.”

“Kurumu, I…”

He tried to pull his hand away, but she gripped tightly to it. Without her hold, he would have easily scooted out of this comfortable position.

“I can’t help it. It’s been like this since we first touched. You’re… so very special.”

“Please, Kurumu. This is… too sudden for me. It’s… it’s not right.”

Kurumu shivered, taking a steadying breath. She was so confused. It felt so good but there was a part of her very much in line with his concerns screaming at her to stop. She thought of her mother and decided the best thing to do would be whatever that whore would not.

“Give me your other hand.”

“I… uh…”

“Trust me.”

Timidly his hand touched her side. With her free hand she seized his up and brought both of his to rest gently on her belly. Taking another deep breath, she rubbed her thumbs across the back of his hands.

“I know you want me.”

“I…”

“And I really want you, Tsukune. I… I think I love you. But yea… this was not what I was thinking of when I started the day.”

She laughed with a slight smile, ashamed of herself. Her whole body felt flush, embarrassed over her actions and her words. She was terrified that he would deny her feelings, wondering if it was possible for her to die in his arms from such a crushing disappointment.

“Kurumu, I think… we should go with Moka to church tomorrow.”

Kurumu giggled with relief at the random off topic.

“What? Suddenly feel like talking to a priest about being bad? Or are you planning a wedding?”

“I… uh… wha…?”

Kurumu giggled again, having hardly understood half the things Akashiya had tried to explain about that odd religion. She smiled, squeezing the back of his hands.

“The answer is yes, if you are asking.”

“Actually… I was thinking more of going so she would not feel alone.”

“Oh.”

Heavens help her if he had been thinking of Akashiya the whole damn time. She knew the desire certainly had been for her body, but it did not mean he could not think of another girl.

“Oh… I guess we can.”

“If you don’t want to go, I won’t force you.”

Kurumu huffed.

“I’m sorry that wasn’t enthusiastic enough for you.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

She sighed, relaxing up against him. She could no longer feel the sharp edge of his desire, though her body was still very reluctant to let go.

“It’s okay, Tsukune. I think… it doesn’t feel right to be mad at you.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m frustrated as hell right now, but I know you don’t want her to be lonely. So… I’m going to take real good care of her.”

“I worry over the way you said that.”

“I’m hurt that you would say such things.”

“The truth hurts sometimes.”

“Tsukune!”

Akashiya was standing off in the clearing, her eyes wide as she regarded them. The girl had clearly showered up as her hair was much more vibrant. The thin, pastel yellow sundress wagged in the breeze about her knees. Hanging only by two thin straps, her narrow shoulders were practically bare. The black collar about the vampire’s throat was very notable. A silver chain was sewn into the leather band that came together at a series of links which held the cross pendent at her ample bosom.

Without the uniform, Kurumu could clearly tell with a glance that her body won out in every possible way.

However, his last snide remark could not go without punishment. Jerking in his grasp, Kurumu yanked his hands from her and sprung to her feet. Crying out, she darted across the open ground to hug up the taller girl in a trembling embrace. Arms closed about her protectively.

“What’s going on?”

“I woke up, and he was molesting me!”

“I was not!”

Akashiya stiffened with anger.

“Tsukune!”

Kurumu did her best not to smile.


	7. Consequences for Manipulation

A loud banging on her door demanded her attention. Kurumu groaned, rolling onto her back. Her eyes flickered open, noting the bland slab of concrete overhead. Reluctantly, she drew back the sheets as the heavy knocking continued.

Sitting up, Kurumu stretched her arms up over her head, clasping her elbow with the other hand. Feeling a little better, she yawned as she rolled onto her hands and knees. Getting to her feet, she shuffled over to the door.

As it was comfortable, Kurumu had slept in her top from the other day. She had tossed the skirt into the hamper last night, knowing she would have to do laundry later today. She would have to break some paper for coin at the dining hall so she could use the machines downstairs.

She reached the door and drew back the bolt. She doubted her guest would care that she was only in her panties, pulling the door open. Leaning on the edge, Kurumu peered out at her mobile alarm clock.

Akashiya frowned. A black blouse hugged nicely about her frame while the short sleeves billowed out from the shoulders in a pleated manner to cinch loosely about her forearms. The tops of the small glossy buttons flashed white from the overhead lighting in the hall.

Her usual crimson studs had been swapped out with dangling gold and ruby crosses. Even though the blouse had a stiff, white collar, it could not cover up the black choker about her throat from which the gaudy pendent dangled. A broad belt with a large silver buckle cinched about her waist, holding up the grayish black skirt that touched past her knees. Long white socks and shiny black loafers completed the look.

"You're not dressed."

Kurumu nodded, recalling she had promised to go to service this morning. She glanced over at the clock, though it was turned away from her. She yawned, turning back to her escort.

"You look nice."

Akashiya flushed for a moment, but quickly gestured for Kurumu to back away.

"Hurry, hurry. We won't have time to eat if we just stand around."

Kurumu plodded away from the door, leaving it open. She pulled her top over her head, feeling the slight bounce of her unrestrained bosom. Sleeping in a bra was silly. She tossed the top at the hamper, the garment catching the side and hanging halfway in. Apathetic, Kurumu tugged open her closet and thumbed through her things.

"What should I wear?"

"Something respectable."

There really was not much left to her wardrobe. Wandering about campus on the weekends had not crossed her mind, so the only other things she had in here were casual tops that were nothing near the fashion of Akashiya's conservative attire.

Sighing, Kurumu seized up the only uniform she had left and presented it to Akashiya.

"Don't you have anything else?"

Kurumu shrugged, gesturing at the small handful of things still on hangers. She thought about what she should wear with this, knowing none of her shorts would be acceptable. She did have one long pair of khakis, but they sagged horribly at her waist due to her hips being so wide. She heavily regretted not bringing any other skirts, even though she only owned a few.

Not minding Akashiya whom had wandered over to regard her belongings, Kurumu bent over to fetch her undergarments and the slacks out of their respective drawers. She grimaced at the thought of the khaki not really matching the beige sweater top, but wearing just the long sleeved dress shirt seemed too boring. She held the pants against the ensemble on the hanger, only confirming the awkwardness of the look.

"And you were telling me I have a lack of wardrobe."

Kurumu smirked after deciding it would be fine to lose the sweater top.

"Oh, you have more grandma clothing?"

"This is mature and professional."

"For a nursing home."

Akashiya fumed, her eyes fixed on her for only a moment before turning aside, flush.

"Would you hurry up and put some clothes on!"

Kurumu giggled as she pulled the sweater off the hanger, tossing it over her shoulder in the general direction of the hamper. She smiled at the vampire, as a curious thought struck her. She folded the shirt over the pant and other things, wadding it up and setting it aside atop her drawers.

"Are you embarrassed around another naked girl?"

Akashiya turned about in a huff.

"No. I've seen plenty of other girls naked on my floor."

Kurumu looked into those lovely turquoise eyes, mischievous. She wondered if she could do it for real this time. It would make squeezing Akashiya out of the picture very easy.

"Oh, is that so? So how do I compare? Am I the prettiest naked girl you have ever seen?"

As Akashiya dropped her gaze, she was obviously not charmed. Still her cheeks were very flush.

"We don't have time for this. I'll have to leave without you."

Mildly disappointed her charm did not work, Kurumu turned on her heel and pulled her bra from the wadded pile first. It was one of those that had a half dozen small clasps in the front connecting the two cups. She hated the ones that linked in the back since it required dragging the dumb thing about her torso after hooking up. Since she had to special order these bastards anyways, she had made certain to get the kind she liked putting on. Slipping the thing on like a jacket, she squeezed herself into the restraints.

"I wish they made these things fancier. All the nice things are for girls that don't have anything at all."

"Huh?"

"You know what I mean. Breasts.”

“Oh, I guess.”

“My size the only options were flat black, tan and pristine white. And since my mother would always bring home panties she probably picked out of the kiddie section, convincing her to get anything but white was not worth it."

"Oh… um… white is really nice."

Kurumu laughed, slipping out of her undies for a fresh pair.

"Oh, come on, Akashiya. Don't you find it silly that a succubus has such a boring assortment of lingerie?"

"No, that's not what I meant. Um… well… I don't really own anything… well… you know."

Grabbing up her slacks, Kurumu turned about as she slipped one leg into the fabric. She could tell Akashiya was still flustered about this, so she doubted the vampire was being dishonest. With a thoughtful twist of her lips, Kurumu slipped her other leg in and tugged the pants up over her hips. She zipped and buttoned up, but easily had a couple fingers worth of room in the back and front.

"Well… you did say your guardian was a priest. If he was buying clothes like that for you, I could see why."

Akashiya scowled.

"I bought my own clothes."

Kurumu sighed. She picked up the shirt by its hanger and started unfastening the buttons.

"Such freedom was wasted on you. If I had the money, I wouldn't have to resort to a school uniform today."

"I didn't have money."

"But you're a vampire."

"So."

Kurumu eyed Akashiya dubiously.

"In junior high, I always heard about how spoiled rotten the nobility was."

"Nobility?"

"Even if you weren't a high ranked family, you would have money."

Akashiya's eyes winced with anguish.

"But it wasn't like that! I barely had anything. My mother only visited me once or twice a year and the priest only gave me enough to buy lunch at school. I would have to skip meals to scrounge up the money to do something I wanted."

While Kurumu knew she should feel bad, she instantly thought how lucky Akashiya was to get money for lunch. Her mother had always packed a lunch, so there was never any money in her pocket. When she had pestered about it, her mother had casually dismissed her concerns, saying if it was that important Kurumu could charm some cash out of the boys.

Feeling bitter but realizing Akashiya wanted some sort of response from her, Kurumu swallowed down her ire. Shaking her head, she draped the shirt over her shoulders and slipped her arms through. Buttoning up, she favored Akashiya with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, but isn't that so frustrating?"

"What?"

"Here we are, the two prettiest girls in school and both broke as dirt."

Akashiya fidgeted with her hands while Kurumu slipped her bare feet into a pair of tan sandals.

"I… okay."

Kurumu giggled, thrusting a hand out to snatch up one of Akashiya's. She turned and started for the door.

"Wait, Kurumu."

Kurumu held the door open, glancing back.

"Um… you did not get all the buttons."

Kurumu laughed.

"Of course I didn't. Oh, but I probably need my ID and keys."

Releasing Akashiya, Kurumu darted over to the counter to grab the things she needed. She stuffed them in her pockets and glanced over her room. Figuring she could clean up later, she ducked out of the room after Akashiya, letting her door lock itself.

Kurumu wondered as they walked to the elevator in silence if Akashiya was still a little peeved over yesterday. It was difficult to say which of them the vampire believed, but getting Tsukune to admit he was not charmed had been a huge strike against him. He might act all reluctant to take her as a girlfriend, but eventually he would realize which of them trusted him more.

They stepped into the elevator, sharing mild grins. She was winning on looks, trust and assertiveness. There was no way she would lose.

Kurumu felt so much better, yielding to this strong feeling. She was done trying to figure out why. All that mattered was Tsukune was the only man that caused her to feel like this. She wanted to know everything about him so that she could be the best girlfriend any man could ever hope for.

"You should tuck in your shirt."

"If I do that, people will notice how poorly these fit."

"Do it anyways."

"But I couldn't tuck in at the sides even if I wanted to. It's not going to stay tucked."

"It looks lazy."

Kurumu pouted, reluctantly complying with the request. As expected, she could not push the cloth in very far at all at the hips, and it certainly did not feel the least bit comfortable. With a huff, she stepped out of the elevator once the door opened up on the ground floor.

As Kurumu fished her ID card out of her pocket, she noticed a familiar face in the recessed area.

Nazohashi had a locker open and was pulling out the same black shoes she normally wore to school. A forest green, strapless dress clung tightly to her thin body, though with her bent over, it did have some breathing room in the front. Once her shoes were on, she closed the locker.

"Morning, Nazohashi!"

The girl turned at Akashiya's cheerful greeting, her jade eyes evaluating them. Her thin lips turned into a slight frown.

"Ms. Kurono. Ms. Akashiya."

"You look nice."

Kurumu smirked at Akashiya's compliment, knowing the dress hardly did anything but declare an important area was lacking. Still, it was a nice color against Nazohashi's bronzed skin.

"Thanks. Are you going somewhere?"

"To church."

Nazohashi perked up.

"Oh really? I did not think Ms. Kurono was the religious sort."

"I'm only tagging along."

"Ah, that would explain the haphazard choice of clothing."

Kurumu sneered at the girl.

"I would ask to borrow something of yours, but I doubt any of it would fit."

Nazohashi grinned like a cat.

"Stopping to eat first? If so, I shall join you."

“That would be wonderful!”

Kurumu doubted over how great this would be, but knew saying anything would be rude. She smiled and walked towards the door ahead of the two girls, holding out her ID card for the reader. The little black sensor had a red dot that flickered every other second. Once it picked up on her card, the doors slid open and the fan kicked on.

It was another lovely day on campus, though it was still early spring. In another month, it would probably start raining every day.

“So, Ms. Akashiya. You are a practitioner of the faith?”

“I am.”

“So few of our kind dabble in human religions.”

“You're a vampire?”

Kurumu sighed over the blunder, casting a look over her shoulder at the pink haired ditz. That oblivious smile of hers made it difficult to get angry.

Nazohashi was clearly puzzled. She kept silent for a few paces before voicing her mild protest.

“I'm not a vampire.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. I thought… oh… I didn't mean…”

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head.

“So, Nazohashi! Why are you going to church?”

After taking several steps in silence, Kurumu halted to regard the girl. Nazohashi had quite the frown on her face as she slowed to a stop.

“I'm not sure if I should tell you. You'll only ask more questions if I do.”

“Why not?”

Nazohashi smiled at Akashiya's earnest protest.

“Okay, I guess it couldn't hurt too much. My father was a Christian missionary when he met my mother. So… I grew up with this.”

While Kurumu found this odd, she suspected the priest that had taken care of Akashiya was a monster of sorts.

“Your father was a monster that dabbled in human religion?”

“See, that's what I meant. There you go asking questions.”

Kurumu smirked at the class rep's distress. Obviously this worried the girl since it probably was a clue about her true form. Of course, the only way this would be a clue was if a certain aspect was true.

“So your father was human?”

Nazohashi winced. Shaking her head, she deliberately brushed past Kurumu.

“Will you stop? Don't you dare start spreading rumors about me being some half breed, because I'm not.”

“So you're a kind that naturally breeds with humans.”

Nazohashi huffed.

“I swear, if I had something to throw at you, I would. Are you two going to join me in breakfast or not?”

Akashiya grabbed up Kurumu's hand, tugging her along.

“Of course we are! So, Nazohashi. What kind of monster are you?”

Kurumu giggled at the bluntness of Akashiya's inquiry. She imagined this would be a very amusing breakfast.

* * *

Sitting through a boring sermon about some all-powerful being loving them and wanting them to love each other was too much this early in the morning. Kurumu had been stifling yawns every few seconds, failures resulting in jabs from the elbow of an intolerant Nazohashi at her side. It hurt too, since the girl lacked any real padding on those scrawny arms.

Somehow Nazohashi had slipped through the entire conversation during the meal with her sanity and identity intact. The only major revelation brought out was an admission of being in human schools every year prior to this. The only reason why she was at Yokai was because her mother had said so and that was the law of the household.

While Nazohashi had made it clear that she opposed the decision, she still spoke highly of her mother, declaring how intelligent and influential she was in the humans' legal system. This had drawn Akashiya into the conversation over how great their mothers were despite neither getting to spend a whole lot of quality time with said parent. Kurumu felt left out, simmering as the other two blathered on and on as if they were in some sort of competition.

Noting the time and fearing they would be late, Nazohashi had hurried them out of the dining hall for a very brisk walk to the chapel. Akashiya had also tried to protest this, but Nazohashi had assured them that Tsukune was old enough to get himself to church.

Apparently not.

Despite being disappointed, Akashiya had insisted staying after the service so she could have some words with the priest. Nazohashi had hung around, claiming it was only polite for her to wait for those she had arrived with. Apparently the priest did know Akashiya's guardian, since the conversation with the elderly man had lasted well over half an hour.

They were walking back to the dorms through the forest. As the trail to the chapel was not highly trafficked, the passage was narrow and uneven. Even with their simple shoes, the footing proved treacherous at times.

“What do you plan on doing the rest of the day, Nazohashi?”

“I figured I would read ahead, since I was able to do all the assignments yesterday. The first week of school is always so boring.”

“Oh, right! I haven't done mine yet.”

“I wouldn't worry much, Ms. Akashiya. If you start after lunch, you will have no problems finishing it before dinner.”

“Oh, okay.”

They came upon an intersecting trail, this one much wider. Kurumu walked beyond the trail, ahead of her companions.

“Hold up, Kurumu.”

She paused, glancing back at the pair.

“What is it, Ms. Akashiya?”

“Well. Where does this path go?”

Nazohashi shrugged, gesturing off to her right.

“I imagine it might be the same path that crosses the one that goes from the school to the dorms.”

“Let's go then.”

Without waiting for approval, Akashiya started down the foreign trail with a slight skip to her step. She turned about and smiled, gesturing for them to follow.

Nazohashi sighed, but complied.

“Ms. Akashiya. I don't know if this is the same path. We could get lost.”

Kurumu shrugged, quickening her step to walk alongside Nazohashi.

“I sort of doubt that. If we stay on the trail, we can always turn around if it gets too late. You have a watch.”

“I may have the time, but do you, Ms. Kurono? I imagine you have not done your homework either.”

“Do you enjoy being such a nag?”

“Kurumu, that's not very nice. Nazohashi is our friend.”

The dark haired girl frowned.

“Friend? Ms. Akashiya-”

“You can call me Moka.”

“… … … Ms. Akashiya, I am your classmate. And I am your liaison to the student council and any other committee that will oversee school activities.”

Akashiya pouted as she cautiously walked on her heels in the opposite direction she faced. The vampire looked to Kurumu for support.

“What, Akashiya?”

“You're both so cruel.”

“Cruel? No, you misunderstand. I simply don't regard us as friends.”

“Why not?”

“Probably because she thinks we are both troublemakers and that hanging around us would ruin her reputation.”

Nazohashi hung her head. After a couple steps, she shook her head.

“If you want to think that, I don't care.”

“But I don't think that.”

Kurumu scowled, stopping in her tracks.

“That's because you're stupid.”

“Hey!”

“She labeled me as a delinquent the first day I spoke with her. I bet knowing my true form only makes her more justified to think that way.”

Nazohashi threw her hands up in the air, disgusted.

“Well, I'm sorry, but most sane people would not regard a creature that thrives off of sexual immorality as a model student.”

“Oh, and you think I haven't heard this holier than thou bullshit before?”

Kurumu jabbed a finger against the girl's shoulder with enough force to stagger Nazohashi.

“Does it make you feel good to think you are better than me? I bet that's why you wanted to be class representative. You think this will make you more important than everyone else.”

Nazohashi's jaw trembled, her eyes smoldering.

“Stop it, both of you!”

Kurumu whirled angrily on the vampire.

“Don't you even start. Don't you realize, Akashiya? This is the type of person that would ridicule you for being different. She's not your friend.”

Kurumu turned smugly upon Nazohashi.

“She's too busy being your better.”

“At least I don't throw myself at men!”

Kurumu reflexively tried to slap the girl. To her surprise, her wrist was grabbed before she could connect. Kurumu glared angrily at Akashiya, whom stared back with unusual firmness.

“You know that's a lie!”

“I said to stop.”

The rigid tone of her voice was much different than she had been all day.

“Do you agree with her?”

Akashiya's gaze faltered.

“I don't have to take sides here. It's not like either of you know anything about each other.”

Kurumu scowled, wresting her arm free of the lax grip.

“Ms. Akashiya … thank you.”

Akashiya hung her head, her fists clenched.

“Apologize.”

Kurumu scowled as Nazohashi looked up inquisitive.

“Apologize to each other.”

“There's no point making her take back something she believes.”

“What exactly do you two want from me?! Is it help with homework? Fine, I'll do it! Just don't hurt me!”

The sudden outburst confused Kurumu. The girl was trembling, her face turned aside with eyes tightly closed as if bracing for impact.

“Wait, Nazohashi? Why would we hurt you?”

“Because you're monsters and you probably think I'm weak. Isn't that what monsters do?”

Kurumu sighed, wondering if this was due to living such a sheltered life in the human realm.

“Not really. Damn, Nazohashi. What kind of monster are you?”

The girl meekly shrugged.

“One that's never dealt with other monsters.”

“Now isn't that convenient.”

The cruel tone of that voice ran chills down Kurumu's spine. She looked up the path, her heart sinking at the sight of Saizou. He calmly walked towards them, his eyes masked behind a visor that gleamed in the sunlight.

His sinister laugh unsettled Kurumu. Clinging to his stocky body, his white shirt nearly split at the seams. His denim pant legs had been torn off unevenly at the knees, the ends fraying beyond control. A pair of open sandals protected his feet from the rugged terrain.

Akashiya turned about, protectively holding her arms out wide.

“What is it you want?”

“I came for you, Akashiya. Surely the whore has won over your man by now.”

Kurumu snarled at the remark, ducking under Akashiya's arm to stare down her mouthy adversary. She winced at the light, but refused to look away. She tried to spike him with thoughts of this being the wrong time.

He laughed as he closed in.

“That's not going to work this time, bitch. I'm done being played by you.”

Kurumu faltered back a step. She could not understand why this was failing.

“Mr. Saizou. I'm not sure what she did to you, but this is something you should tell a teacher.”

Saizou laughed, halting his approach.

“And be laughed at by this school's pathetic staff? I think not. But since I now know that you’re a weakling, I don't have to hold back.”

With a wicked sneer, Saizou's body ruptured his shirt as he quickly became massive. His arms narrowed out into double sided blades while his mouth extended into a maw with rows of dagger sharp teeth. His eyes remained hidden behind that square visor as he threw back his shaggy head and howled. Only the denims about his waist survived the transformation.

“Is he crazy? If any of us report this, he's going to be expelled.”

Kurumu swallowed, glancing to Akashiya.

“I would say he plans to kill us all, but that's going to be tough with Akashiya around.”

Akashiya bit her lower lip, grabbing Kurumu's arm.

“Maybe not as tough as you think. We have to run!”

“What?”

“Don't ask, just run!”

Nazohashi darted back down the trail immediately. Kurumu staggered to keep up as Akashiya held tightly to her wrist while sprinting after Nazohashi.

A deafening crack tore through the air. There was a loud grunt and then a dark shadow sailed overhead. Akashiya glanced up and cried out, yanking Kurumu off the trail as the vampire dove into the underbrush. An instant later, a massive tree crashed down across the trail.

Finally free of Akashiya's iron grip, Kurumu got up and scanned her surroundings. There was no sign of Nazohashi but Saizou was easy enough to spot. His lips were drawn back to expose his teeth as he slowly advanced towards their location.

In a hurry, Kurumu started unfastening her buttons. She could not afford another torn outfit. Quickly finishing the task, she slipped out of the shirt and tossed it aside. With a grimace, she let her true form loose, her spade tail slashing through the pant fabric like a razor blade.

“Get up, Moka!”

The vampire lifted onto her hands and knees, holding the side of her head. She looked disorientated, but Kurumu doubted that would last long.

“We can take him. Transform already.”

“I can't!”

Kurumu scowled.

“Are you still talking about that sealed nonsense? Fine, I'll take it off if you want to play it like that.”

Akashiya started to protest, but Kurumu grasped the bauble and yanked. Surprisingly those small silver links did not yield. She tugged a lot harder but it only caused Akashiya to gag.

“What the fuck!”

Akashiya coughed and gasped, clutching at her throat.

“Where's the little runt? Is she crushed under the tree? You two wait there while I check.”

Saizou laughed, slicing off portions of the wreckage.

“Dammit, Akashiya. What do we do?”

“I told you. I'm sealed. Tsukune is the only one I've known that can remove it.”

“Because he's a witch?!”

Akashiya coughed, rubbing at her throat.

Kurumu clenched her fists, frustrated. Without Akashiya, there was little hope of winning a fight she could not charm her way out of. Someone had to run away for help. But leaving Akashiya here would be pointless. Tsukune would never forgive her.

“Go! Get help! I'll try to keep him occupied.”

Akashiya got to her feet, using a tree to steady herself.

“Kurumu?”

“Please, go! We can't leave Nazohashi here and you'll be useless if you stay behind. Go before I change my mind!”

Akashiya's eyes wavered but the vampire turned and ran as fast as she could through the forest.

“There you are!”

Kurumu turned about, seeing that Saizou had changed one of his arms back to an elongated appendage with a hand. The monstrel plucked the class rep out of the many branches by her ankle, the girl desperately trying to hold onto something. With a snarl and a rough yank, Nazohashi was flailing her arms through air, her dress torn up the side that the fabric parted to bare her hip and the wide band of white fabric of her clearly conservative panties.

“Hey! You are some sick lech, aren't you?”

Saizou turned his lupine head in her direction, his lips drawn back in a snarl. His wicked laugh shattered her confidence.

“I thought I told you two to stay put.”

“It's over Saizou. Akashiya will get help.”

“If I kill you both by the time she gets back, who's to say she didn't do it?”

“That would be me.”

All turned to regard the shirtless young man that stood in the trail with his hands clenched in large, meaty fists. Their unexpected guest was flush, likely from jogging as his baggy red shorts, crew socks and running shoes indicated. His broad frame was muscular and his left ear still had the same three garnet studs that she remembered.

“Burumoto?”

Saizou laughed. Effortlessly he tossed Nazohashi in Kurumu's direction, the girl landing with a cry as her hands poorly softened her impact with the unforgiving terrain. The monstrel willed its arm back into the double edged blade.

“So, the jock rushes in to protect his little whore.”

Burumoto snorted, his nostrils flaring.

“This is a jogging trail many of the athletes use. Not that I'd expect trash to understand.”

“What did you call me?”

Burumoto smacked his fist into his palm.

“I said you're garbage. Don't even know why they bother letting your kind into the school when this is what happens.”

“Don't talk like you would know anything about it!”

“I know what my momma said, and that's good enough.”

Burumoto flexed his muscles and his body rapidly enlarged. His dark hair grew longer and rugged, stretching down the back of his neck in an ebony mane. Horns tore out the sides of his head over his fat ears, jutting up in fierce points. His wide nose and mouth stretched out and squared up into the perfect visage of a bull. Crimson eyes held fast upon the monstrel as the young minotaur reached over and uprooted a nearby, midsized tree to wield like a club.

“Spoiled little pure blood! I'll show you death!”

“Bring it!”

The two charged at each other, Saizou slashing and Burumoto swinging his tree. Though Saizou sliced through the tree with ease, it only took one good backswing to knock the monstrel to his knees. Once down, Burumoto started hammering down on his foe with vicious overhands. The sound of wood splintering filled the air as branches snapped off under the assault.

Kurumu took this time to help Nazohashi up. The tear in her dress had ran up to her ribs with only a couple fingers worth of fabric holding it together. Several nicks and scrapes dotted her arms and legs with a sizable gash down her temple. She was bleeding profusely, but conscious.

“Are you okay?”

“Where's Akashiya?”

“She went for help.”

“You sent the vampire for help?!”

“I couldn't leave you behind.”

“But you can fly!”

Burumoto howled in agony. Though down, Saizou had lashed out with one of his arms, the dagger like point piercing through Burumoto's shoulder. The minotaur staggered back, clutching at the wound and rocking his arm in a circle as if he was stretching out a sore muscle.

Battered and bloodied, Saizou tossed the cracked tree trunk aside, clearly having the advantage against an unarmed, injured opponent.

“We have to distract him.”

“We?”

“Who else is going to help Burumoto?”

Burumoto charged in, allowing the blade to bite deep into his arm. Ignoring the injury, the minotaur collided with the monstrel, pushing the large creature back. Saizou yanked the blade free for another strike, but Burumoto seized the opportunity to wrap his broad arms about the monstrel's torso. Grunting, the minotaur began to squeeze.

“What do you want me to do? Talk him to death?”

“Don't you have any special powers?”

“Don't you? I mean, can't you charm him with sex or something.”

“I already tried that. He's shielded his eyes somehow.”

Burumoto's muscles bulged as he squeezed tightly, lifting Saizou off the ground. Despite the apparent advantage, Saizou was able to curve his bladed arms in a manner to stab into Burumoto's side and arms, tearing through the skin with ease. Blood spilled down the minotaur's blackened hide.

“What about direct contact? Can't you charm him by touching him?”

“I don't think I can.”

“You don't know?”

“It's not like I was born with a fucking instruction manual! My mother taught me things when she felt she had to.”

“I can't just run up there and wave my arms! He's liable to cut me in half!”

“What do you think is going to happen to Burumoto if we don't do something quick?”

Nazohashi grimaced, wringing her hands. The two reluctantly approached the clash of the titans. Nodding at the girl, Kurumu started to circle behind the monstrel, looking for an opening.

Saizou slammed his open muzzle down on Burumoto's shoulder, clamping down. The minotaur bellowed, but would not release his hold. Burumoto leaned back, lifting Saizou further, squeezing harder in an attempt to break his foe.

With a tear of fabric, Saizou's leg shifted into the same sort of weapon his arms had. Hooking the blade around the back of Burumoto's leg, Saizou tore through flesh and muscle, taking the minotaur down. Atop his felled his foe, Saizou broke free of the iron grip, raising his speared arm for the killing blow.

Nazohashi threw a rock that bounced off the monstrel's head.

“Hey! Stupid! I got a question, if you're willing to play!”

Saizou scowled at the nuisance. His arm reverted back to a hand. Clenching it into a fist, he pummeled down upon Burumoto's face while watching the girl intently.

“Oh, not a very smart guy, I suppose. Probably wouldn't know the answer anyways.”

Saizou laughed. With a broad backhand, he knocked Nazohashi cleanly off her feet. The girl flew several feet before tumbling into the underbrush.

Kurumu dived on his back before he could finish Burumoto off. She scratched and clawed at the visor, but the thing was literally fused into his skull. Grimacing at the possibility she might have to kill him, she willed her fingers into daggers and slashed into his temple, cutting through bone.

She cried out as a hand clamped roughly in her hair, hauling her off. She felt some of her locks tear as she was thrown down the path. Her scalp ached furiously as she hit the dirt. She wept, furious at him.

“YOU BITCH! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU FIRST!”

Kurumu felt the ground shudder as he charged over to her. She struggled to her hands and knees, looking up at him standing over her like an executioner. For the first time she saw herself and recognized the truth of the visor. It was a mirror, likely one way. She whimpered at how simple a trick that was as his arm pierced through her back, shattering her ribs.

Her face hit the dirt as she felt her life ooze out of her. She heard voices, shouts and screams. And then nothing at all.

* * *

Something prodded her on the shoulder.

“You dead?”

She groaned, lifting a hand. Her arm moved a bit sluggish, but she managed to put it over her eyes to rub at them. She was in a bed with a thin sheet drawn over her. She winced, realizing some idiot had placed her atop her own wings. With a thought, she drew them and her tail back into her body.

“Obviously not. Get up already. They want us to go home.”

Kurumu took a deep breath, glancing up at the strange ceiling. She glanced over, noting the familiar face of Burumoto. She glanced away, though not before noticing the many bandages wrapped about his upper body.

“Where are we?”

“In the infirmary. Our rescuers opened it for us, since neither of us were recovering fast enough for their liking.”

The way he said rescuers betrayed how upset he was over the fight.

“Rescuers?”

“Mr. Kotsubo and Ms. Hitori. I guess Akashiya found Mr. Kotsubo wandering near the dorms and he called in Ms. Hitori for assistance to deal with the situation.”

“Where are the others?”

Burumoto scratched the back of his head.

“I asked them to step out for a bit, since I wanted to say some things to you in private.”

Kurumu frowned, worried she was not going to like this. It would be so hard to turn him down after his actions today.

“Ever since I found out what you are, I've been… uncertain of what I should do. Momma always said not to mix in the affairs of a succubus.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes. This was going to be even worse than she expected.

“I really like you… but… I don't think my family would ever approve.”

Kurumu giggled, too exhausted to care.

“That's okay. I had no plans of being your girlfriend.”

Burumoto favored her with a pained look.

“That wounds me, deeper than anything that scoundrel could inflict.”

Kurumu could not tell if he was being serious or not, but she did know he was not lusting after her.

“Speaking of which, what happened to him?”

“I was told he would be dealt with, nothing else.”

“I see.”

Kurumu gripped the sheet, trying to sit up. She could already tell by the way it felt that her breasts were only clothed in her lingerie. Holding the fabric at her bosom, she glanced his tattered body over, noting how extensive the bandages were. Very little of his body was not patched up.

“Your injuries.”

“Bah, most will be gone by practice tomorrow. I'll be hurting, but nothing I can't endure.”

Kurumu nodded, pleased that nothing was severe. Her own injuries were well on the mend. While she was very sore, it was nothing compared to what she had recovered from earlier this week.

“Thanks, Burumoto.”

“It's Ushio. I think I have earned that.”

“Oh, have you now?”

He snorted.

“Considering I also have your shirt… yes, I have.”

Kurumu pouted.

“I thought we just established we're not going to be girlfriend boyfriend.”

He favored her with that wide, feral grin.

“Well… there's always friends with benefits.”

“You're such a pig!”

Burumoto chuckled. He reached over and roughly tousled her hair.

“At least be a cheerleader so I can regularly see what I'm missing out on.”

“I can't, you jackass.”

“Oh, why not?”

Kurumu laughed, a little surprised he had not thought of this earlier. She sighed, shaking her head. This was not one of the fondest memories.

“I went to a sporting event once. It was declared forfeit.”

“Forfeit?”

“Because, as a succubus, I could have impacted the game.”

Burumoto soured at the revelation. He brought a large hand up to his broad chin, staring down at her. Eventually he shrugged and turned away. He tossed her white shirt over his shoulder, the garment landing on the edge of the bed. With a wave of the back of his hand, he walked away.

“I still say you would have looked awesome in a cheerleader outfit.”

Kurumu snatched up her shirt before it fell to the floor. She smiled as he retreated, likely to inform the others that she would be out soon. Drawing the sheet aside, she started putting the shirt on.

As she reached the last button, her stomach growled. It was dark outside the boarded up window, which was very worrisome. Knowing how inflexible the staff at the dining hall were, she doubted they would serve a hot meal after the specific set times of dinner. There were always those snacks, assuming the hall was still open.

Springing from her bed, she winced at a sharp pain in her side. Grimacing, she held the injury while hobbling as quickly as she dared. This had been a really rough week, easily worse than her combined years of junior high. She doubted anything could be worth this torture. Chuckling at this, she pushed open the door and walked out into the waiting room.

“You're okay!”

She glimpsed a flip of pink hair and periwinkle fabric before the girl wrapped her up in a crushing hug. Kurumu had to grab onto the girl to keep from falling back. The new outfit was very soft against her, Kurumu quickly realizing this was sleepwear.

“Ugh… you're heavy!”

The hands slid up to her shoulders and the back of her head. To her surprise, Akashiya clutched her tightly against the vampire's bosom. It was such a warm, soft, reminiscent feeling accompanied with the image of her mother kneeling.

“Kurumu! I'm sorry! I got help as quick as I could!”

It was okay now. This moment was worth it. Breathing in deeply, Kurumu was content.

But still hungry as hell.


	8. The Gravity of Friendship

Kurumu rapped her knuckles against the glass door. Though it was early, she was dressed for class with her schoolbag slung across her shoulder and the container from home economics in hand. It was a good thing Akashiya had returned it to her last night else she would have completely forgotten about it.

Akashiya.

No, she could not think about her right now. All was fair in love and war, and this was a battle she could not lose. She knocked louder against the barrier.

“Hey! There's a pretty girl out here wanting to see her man! Open up already!”

Kurumu frowned at the complete lack of response. She could hear the sound of their showers, but she doubted that would drown out her efforts. She briefly wondered if the whole floor was comatose from that horrible stench she had endured her last visit. She slapped her palm on the glass, hoping it would be louder.

“Hey! Open up! I'll take my top off!”

As if by magic, the door on her right swung open and a half dressed creature shambled out of its room. Its yellow eyes were sunken into a scaly visage, beady black pupils directed upon her. Lids blinked up as the white bellied beast waddled to the door on its wide, clawed feet. The only thing the reptilian creature wore was a black pair of boxers, which she was thankful for, as it was obviously very happy to see her.

Flush, Kurumu smiled brightly, favoring her savior with an energetic wave. She looked into his eyes, ensuring that he would open the door without any protest about her remaining clothed.

The door popped open as the monster regarded her. It was difficult to tell with that short beak of a mouth if it was smiling or stupefied. A cloud of foulness drifted out to greet her.

“Thank you.”

The creature nodded, hovering in the hall next to her as the door closed. Kurumu tried hard to keep smiling despite feeling so sick.

“You should get dressed now. You're making a poor girl blush.”

“Oh… right.”

Kurumu giggled as the boy retreated into his room, promptly shutting the door. She could hear the showers much better now and she wondered if Tsukune was already up getting ready. As she walked down the hall to his room, her heart started to race at the thought of his room being open and empty. If that was so, then she wondered if it was a good idea to wait in his room till he returned. She could surprise him, and maybe by accident his towel would slip off. She whimpered at the very thought of what could happen next.

Her hand touched against the knob but it would not turn. She frowned with crushing disappointment. Sighing, she knocked.

“Tsukune? Tsukune? Tsukune, wake up.”

Frowning, Kurumu pressed up against the door. She tilted her head so that she could hear better, though it seemed there was no movement within. She tapped on the door with her fingers, indecisive.

“Tsukune? Tsukune? Please, open up. I didn't get to see you at all yesterday. Tsukune?”

Kurumu sighed, wondering if there was some crazy chance she had missed him. She backed up and held up her index finger. Willing it to a sharp point, she thrust it through the solid barrier at her eye level. Yanking it back out, she pressed to the door.

Spying through the hole, she could clearly see the distinct form of someone beneath the black sheets. Feeling more confident, Kurumu pressed up against the door, nuzzling her cheek upon the smooth, cold surface.

“Tsukune. You're going to be late for school if you don't wake up soon.”

There was a dramatic sigh behind her.

“You again?”

It was the young man that had let her in on Saturday. At least this time he was fully clothed, one hand stowed away in a pocket as he looked off to the side with that apathetic attitude.

“Morning.”

“Are you going to molest his door till he opens it?”

Kurumu scowled, detaching slightly from the surface. She knocked firmly once again.

“Tsukune? Tsukune! There's a guy out here hitting on me.”

The guy sighed heavily once again and moved over beside her.

“I'll let you in this one time.”

She moved aside, watching as he pressed his palm against the knob.

“You can do that.”

“If he hasn't drawn the top deadbolt.”

The boy twisted his wrist, turning the knob and pushing the door open. Letting go of the knob, the boy shoved the portal further into the room. He shook his hand as if he had burned it while starting down the hall.

Kurumu frowned only for a moment, wondering what was with that guy. Deciding it did not matter presently, she slipped into Tsukune's room, closing the door behind her. She was finally alone with him.

A shiver coursed down her spine as she set the container down next to the door. She eyed his face, admiring the cuteness of his features and the way his mouth was slightly agape. His breaths were soft and deep as he rested on his side, his head propped up by the swell built into his dark futon.

Kurumu slipped out of the loop holding her schoolbag, setting it down on the floor next to her as she knelt beside his head. Her hands balled into tiny fists as she adored him, feeling the slight tickle of his breath against her bare knees. Turning her wrist, she noted the time was still not quite six thirty.

Timidly, she reached over and pushed his shoulder with her palm.

“Tsukune? Tsukune?”

He groaned, stirring. His eyelids fluttered and he yawned. Smacking his lips, he opened his eyes.

Kurumu mewled as his eyes widened. She bit her lower lip, closing her eyes as such an amazing rush of desire swept into her being. She snatched her hand away from him, her body trembling from the swiftness of the assault.

“Kurumu?! What the…?!”

There was a rustle of blankets as Tsukune staggered up to his feet. The desire subsided, but her body still tingled with pleasure. Her eyes opened slightly, almost like she was in a dreamy haze. Not even meaning to, she noticed Tsukune was also very happy to see her this morning.

“How did you get in my room?!”

Kurumu sighed dreamily, hugging herself.

“With love.”

“Love?”

Kurumu giggled. She stumbled as she tried to stand, his warm body rushing up against hers for support. She laughed silly, clutching to him till she got her footing. Instead of letting go, she rubbed her face against his shirt, loving the smell of him.

“Kurumu!”

“Can we skip school today?”

“I… no! I have to get ready for school!”

She laughed at the forced seriousness in his voice. She lifted her head and pressed her chest against him. It felt so wonderful that she started to rock gently on the pads of her feet.

“Please, Kurumu!”

Kurumu sighed, aware that he was no longer holding her. With a deep breath, she released him and rolled back onto her heels. She drew her hands behind her, clasping them at the small of her back.

“Okay, since you insist.”

“Thanks. You know, today is an important day. We have club registration.”

“But that's all week. Missing one day would have been no deal.”

Tsukune sighed heavily.

“I don't think a day would be enough for you.”

Kurumu giggled.

“It's not like you would know without trying.”

Tsukune glanced about his room.

“I have to get dressed and shower. Will you be fine waiting here?”

“I could help.”

He shivered at a thought that made her shiver with pleasure.

“That would only take longer.”

Kurumu giggled, moving aside as he knelt down to fold up his blankets. She swiped up the strap of her schoolbag, slinging it back over her head. Seeing no real point to retrieving her container yet, she wandered back to a small niche in the wall, flipping her skirt up to wiggle her butt onto the cool surface. Gripping the lip with her hands, she bobbed her ankles to and fro while watching him tidy up his room.

“So what happened yesterday?”

“Huh?”

“You know what happened?”

“Oh… that.”

He nodded as he picked up his futon and carried it over to the closet. He opened the double door and shoved his burden inside.

“Someone boarded up my room yesterday.”

“What?”

“Probably a prank, since most of the guys that walked by only laughed at my shouting to be let out.”

“Who would do something like that?”

Tsukune was holding a small bucket of cleaning products. His uniform was slung over his arm. He walked slowly towards the door.

“When Moka came looking for me, Umizake took the boards down. Nobody will admit to doing it, but it's not like I even missed lunch because of it.”

“It's still not right, Tsukune.”

“It's no big deal. Anyways, stay here while I get ready, okay?”

He did not wait for her permission. He opened the door, turning the deadbolt and slipped out into the hall. The heavy portal came to rest on the sturdy slug with a slight thud.

Kurumu sighed. She disliked the notion that Tsukune was being bullied over nothing, but hated this feeling that he was not telling her the full story. She doubted he lied, but his dismissal had been too casual as if he did not care about the reason or already knew. Tsukune was not the apathetic type.

She imagined he was already thinking about which club they would join. For all she knew, he might have spoken in depth about this yesterday with Akashiya while Kurumu was in the infirmary. It was frustrating and worrisome, not knowing how close those two were.

But Akashiya was such a good girl. She was so honest and innocent. Even that weird talk about the seal had been true. And with her saying revealing things without thought made her seem so incapable of deception.

The more Kurumu thought about yesterday, the more she realized she had been envious of the two having such a casual acceptance of their negligent mothers. It made her think of how often she had wanted to ignore the selfishness of her mother. A warm comfort in exchange for cold pride.

She wondered what sort of relationship Tsukune had with his parents.

She nodded slightly, knowing she had to focus on him. If she kept thinking about Akashiya, she would feel too guilty about this. Surely such a sweetheart could find another guy. There were plenty of guys that would be willing to take Tsukune's place if Akashiya gave them the chance.

Tsukune was a very special person to Kurumu. He was the only boy whom had ever made her feel so wanting. She absolutely had to have him.

But what about the seal? There was no way Akashiya had lied about Tsukune being the only person ever to remove it. Clearly this made Tsukune a very special person to Akashiya.

Kurumu whimpered, holding her head in her hands. For a moment, she really felt like she should leave. But then she remembered those heartless, crimson eyes. That dark presence looming over her, promising destruction. Swallowing with strengthened resolve, Kurumu decided she did not care if Akashiya remained sealed away forever.

Time passed agonizingly slowly. Bored, Kurumu leaned back against the wall. She tilted her head, resting her temple against the dark wood. Her wrist brushed against something flat and metallic. She closed her hand about the object, fairly certain it was a key by the jagged shape. It had a ring connected to it which also had some sort of fabric tether, which made sense for a key. Sighing, she spread her knees apart to dangle her hands between them. She tapped the key against the edge of her perch, mildly trying to match the rhythm of her heart.

Kurumu perked up when the door swung open. She slipped her hand through the tether, letting the key dangle from her wrist. Tsukune looked ready for school, though Kurumu would have preferred the image of him in a towel.

“Sorry I took so long. We should hurry.”

“Tsukune, come here.”

Kurumu pouted as she glanced aside, realizing she had accidentally done it again. Still, she did not protest when he dutifully complied. Once he was in reach, she pulled him by the sleeves of his jacket the rest of the way.

“Kurumu?”

Before he fully recovered, she slipped her hands up around his shoulders. Pressing to the back of his head, she forced his face into her bosom. Taking a deep breath, she rested her cheek atop his damp locks.

“Mrmrmr!”

“Just a little longer.”

This was exquisite. She could feel how badly he wanted her as she pressed her knees against his hips. And with her elevated like this, her imagination could easily fill in the blanks of what could happen next. Her whole body trembled with anticipation.

And her stomach growled.

Kurumu giggled, flush, hot and bothered as she released him. She could hear him gasp as he backed away. Sighing, she slipped off the counter and fixed her skirt while Tsukune was dramatically holding his chest.

“You have to stop doing that!”

“It will be a nice thought when I'm all alone tonight.”

“What?”

Kurumu stuck out her tongue, having no intention of explaining that even if it might get a pleasant reaction out of him. She held up her wrist, wiggling it to make the key dangle.

“On to breakfast then.”

“Can I have that back?”

Kurumu steadied her wrist, allowing him to remove the tether. It was nice to feel his fingers touch her hand, though once he had the key back she quickly realized she could have put the thing in other places that would have been so much better for him to touch. With a wistful smile, she hoped she would remember on the next opportunity.

It did not take but a minute to gather up their things and vacate his room. That guy had been right about the stench as she barely noticed it while they walked down the hall. It was not until she hit the open, fresh air that she realized how thick that had been.

They started down the stairs.

“So, Tsukune? What was your junior high like?”

“Like? Pretty normal, I guess.”

“Is that all you have to say? Didn't you spend the last three years of your life there?”

“Well, yes, but. I didn't really think about it much.”

“No girlfriends you said.”

“None of those.”

“Why not?”

“I don't know. It never felt right.”

“Felt right?”

“Talking.”

“Talking? You're going to tell me you never even talked with a girl?”

“Of course not! I talked to some, but… well, I… ugh.”

Kurumu giggled.

“What was that all about?”

“You wouldn't understand.”

“Oh? Why's that?”

“Because you're a pretty girl.”

Kurumu wanted to take that as a compliment though his tone hardly suggested it as anything but a solid fact. Sighing as they reached the last landing, Kurumu tilted her head to regard his shoulder.

“I'm not going to like you any less if you say what's on your mind.”

Tsukune frowned.

“It's difficult to explain. Girls, well… girls seem like they can talk to anyone.”

Kurumu shrugged at his observation. She had not paid much attention to other girls to claim otherwise and she certainly had few issues talking to boys when she wanted to. It was normally other girls that were the problem.

“I had plenty of guys I could hang out with at school. We would often talk about girls, but few of us could actually speak to one. Isn't that normal?”

“I've never had much problems with boys being unable to speak to me. I've rarely had to start a conversation.”

“Yea, well… if you had not been hurt, I doubt I would have had the courage to speak to a girl like you.”

The fact that he used the word courage spoke volumes to Kurumu. She had spoken to plenty of guys that lacked this confidence. Often these were the ones that obsessed over her when she was merely being nice to them. It was slightly disappointing to think Tsukune suffered from this.

“What are you afraid of?”

“Afraid?”

“Did you think I would reject you?”

“With you? Oh, no. I actually reacted before I could even think about it.”

Kurumu giggled.

“Okay, then with Akashiya?”

“She ran me over with her bike. Talking with her was only natural after the odd accident.”

“Any other girl then. Let's say… Nazohashi for argument sake. Would you talk to her?”

“What for?”

“For anything.”

“If I had to, I would.”

“So the only reason why you talked with me is because you had to?”

“That's not what I meant.”

“But it sounds right. You don't talk to girls unless you have to.”

“Aaagg! That's not what I'm trying to say!”

Kurumu smirked, seeing they were nearly halfway to the dining hall.

“So, what's the real reason why you won't talk to Nazohashi?”

“Why do I need to talk with Nazohashi?”

He was missing the point. She held out her free hand.

“Do you want to hold my hand?”

“What?”

“My hand. You know, putting your hand in mine. Maybe give it a little squeeze. That sort of thing.”

“I know what holding a hand is.”

“Well… you act like you don't know how to talk with a girl, so I didn't want to confuse you with something unfamiliar.”

“I know how to talk to a girl.”

“Then why not talk with Nazohashi?”

“What reason do I have to talk to her?”

“Do you need one?”

Tsukune was thoroughly confused.

“You don't need a reason to talk to someone, Tsukune. Would you need a reason to talk to another guy?”

“I… uh… maybe.”

“Hold on. Do you not talk to anyone?”

“Of course I do.”

“What about the guys on the floor? Do you talk with any of them?”

“Well… not really.”

“Why not?”

“Because, they're all a bit scary.”

“Scary?”

“Don't you find this all a little terrifying to you? You never know what you are dealing with here.”

“They're just students like us. Granted, Saizou was a complete psychopath, but most are not out to get you.”

“I know, but that's still not very reassuring.”

“Oh, come on. You know Saizou is an exception here. You can't tell me your junior high was that… where did you go to school?”

Tsukune was a little worried but his face brightened.

“Oh, here we are.”

He quickly moved about her, pulling the door open for her. She pointed at him as she entered Kurai.

“You're going to answer that question when we get seated.”

As it was a little after seven, the place was actually quite busy with the walk to school easily taking a quarter of an hour. Accustomed to the traffic, the staff moved the students quickly and efficiently through the two lines. Normally Kurumu approached from the girls' side, so this was only slightly different.

Unlike dinner, breakfast was a fixed menu to keep things moving smoothly. There was a third line for those students that had special dietary needs, which moved at a snail's pace. Kurumu was pleased to discover Tsukune did not suffer from such a handicap.

Rung up and with tray in hand, Kurumu looked about for Akashiya, hoping for failure. She smiled and started for an empty half of a table, nodding for Tsukune to follow. Setting down her container and taking up a seat on one side, she smoothed out her skirt before plopping down at her meal.

“So, about that school.”

He groaned, deliberately shoving a sausage in his mouth.

“You've never been to a monster school, have you?”

Tsukune gagged, grabbing up his drink to wash down the offending obstruction.

Kurumu giggled, pleased with her deduction. It made sense for a witch, whom had little issues blending in with humans, though that did beg the question of why he would enroll in this high school.

“It's not that big of a deal. You might actually get along with Nazohashi. She's never been to one either.”

Tsukune patted his chest, taking another moment to fully recover.

“Really?”

“Mhm.”

“I suppose it's more common than I thought.”

“What is?”

“Monsters going to human schools. I was thinking Moka was an exception.”

“Many of us go when we can. I was fine till I hit puberty.”

Tsukune gagged, causing her to laugh. She could tell his thoughts about that were positively delicious.

“Not just my boobs, silly. That's also when my tail and wings started to grow out. I was too young to figure out how to suppress my form and I guess my mother didn't care.”

Tsukune nodded, drinking to relieve his condition. Cautiously he resumed his meal.

“What do you mean your mother didn't care?”

“To teach me to blend in with humans. It was like she had been waiting for an excuse to abandon the human world. I'll be honest that I really hated my junior high. Nobody liked me because I was a succubus.”

“Yea.”

“If I had my choice, I wouldn’t even be here. But I don’t have the money to enroll in a human high school and I doubt I could have passed any entrance exams with the crappy education my junior high offered.”

“You didn't want to be here?”

“Not really.”

She decided she had neglected her meal for too long. She started to eat small bites between remarks.

“What about you? Why would you enroll in Yokai after being in human schools?”

“I didn't have much choice.”

“Parents made you come here?”

“You could say that.”

Kurumu smiled.

“It's fate then.”

“What?”

“Neither of us really wanted to be here, so meeting here must be destiny.”

“Destiny has an odd sense of humor.”

“Hey, you never did hold my hand.”

“Well… I…”

Kurumu held out her left hand across the table.

“Go on.”

“But I… need my hand to eat.”

Kurumu frowned, not sure if she could eat left handed either. She shrugged, regarding what remained of her meal. She really was not that hungry. She nodded, deciding she would have to make something clear based on what she knew about guys that behaved like Tsukune.

“Anyways, if you're going to be all silly about talking with girls then I'm not going to be able to allow it.”

“What?!”

“Since Akashiya is our friend, I'll let that slide, but I better not catch you talking with any girls that I don't know about.”

“You’re strange.”

Kurumu picked at what was left of her food, forcing down a couple more bites before setting down her sticks. She rested her cheek on her palm as she watched him eat. Tsukune certainly acted far more polite and dignified than her last dining partner.

Noting that several students were clearing out, Kurumu glanced at her watch. Sighing, she slipped out of her seat and picked up her things. Tsukune had picked up on her motions and was quickly downing what was left.

Kurumu did not give him a choice as she snatched up his hand, yanking him from his seat. She felt him stumble a bit, but with her gait being so much shorter than his, he easily compensated and caught up. They left their trays behind, knowing the staff would pick up such things.

With both hands occupied, Kurumu used her shoulder to open the door. She could tell he was still a bit nervous, but he still radiated that lovely aura of desire. They started off together.

“Um… Kurumu?”

“Yes?”

“Can I have my hand back?”

“Of course not, silly. It's mine to hold.”

“But.”

“Tsukune!”

Kurumu sighed, halting her step. She knew it had been too good to last. Smiling she turned slightly to regard the approach of their vampire friend.

“Morning, Akashiya.”

“Moka!”

The pink haired girl hurried up to them, stopping short and panting. There was distress in her eyes as she looked upon them.

“Kurumu!”

“Yes?”

“You're holding hands!”

She smirked, noting this declaration had impacted Tsukune.

“Glad that you could join us. We should be going.”

“Hold up. Could I have my hand back for a second?”

“Why?”

“Please, Kurumu.”

Kurumu pouted, but let go.

“Thanks.”

Tsukune promptly went about pulling the strap of his schoolbag out so he could also where it like a satchel. He smiled at Akashiya once the task was completed.

“Now both of my hands are free.”

Kurumu huffed, crossing her arms about her chest.

“Um… Tsukune?”

“Yes?”

“I… uh… missed breakfast.”

“Nah uh! There will be no blood sucking in my presence!”

“Kurumu, I really don't mind.”

“If she's that hungry, she can have mine.”

Moka put on such an adorable face as she held her small fist next to her mouth.

“But… I've only had blood from Tsukune.”

Kurumu scowled as she closed in on the girl. She wanted to be angry, but there was this sudden surge of desire from Tsukune that confused her. She had half a mind to ask what he was thinking about.

“What are you saying? Is my blood not good enough for you?”

“No, it's not that. I… well… I don't know what you taste like.”

Akashiya smiled wistfully as she stared over at Tsukune. Her mouth parted slightly, her fang peeking out against her tender lip.

“Tsukune is so warm and rich. Just a little will tide me over.”

Kurumu sighed, turning her back.

“Fine. Since he said it was okay.”

There was a quick rustle behind her and Tsukune cried out.

* * *

With the recruitment going on, the lines in the cafeteria moved much faster. Since every grade had electives after lunch, it had been announced in homeroom that all afternoon courses were canceled for the day to allow clubs the chance of setting up their booths during lunch. Knowing that there was an extra hour for lunch, many students were already wandering the campus checking out the many different groups Yokai had to offer.

By Tsukune's strong suggestion, they had packaged up their things to go, returning to their classroom to eat lunch. It was actually very nice, as most of their fellow students were gone. Tsukune had spun his desk around to face Akashiya while Kurumu had dragged her desk next to the vampire.

“So, is this where you two have been eating?”

Tsukune visibly shuddered.

“I tried eating in the cafeteria the first day.”

Moka frowned.

“What? What was wrong?”

Tsukune shuddered again and offered a weak smile.

“Nothing. Anyways, I like eating here better. It's quieter.”

Kurumu smiled at him. It was nice, but without any of the other boys around, there was an odd emptiness about the setting. As she absently put away a mouthful of rice, she worried if this would be enough.

“Tsukune? Do you think Moka would look better in my uniform?”

“What?!”

“You know, without that stiff jacket.”

“But I like what I'm wearing.”

“I think it looks cute on her.”

“Would it look cute on me?”

Yes, that was better. Kurumu smiled content with the mild rush.

“I think so.”

“I saw you had a jacket in your closet. Why don't you wear it?”

“I don't like the way it fits around the chest.”

Kurumu smirked at the lovely response that caused.

“So, Tsukune, what club do you think we will be joining?”

“We?”

“Of course. He told me he wanted to be in a club with you.”

“Yea… but I…”

“If it's going to be coed, it's only natural he'd want his girlfriend in the club too.”

“Hey!”

“But Kurumu! I didn't say-”

Kurumu dramatically gasped.

“You mean you don't want me in the same club?!”

“Of course I do!”

“Yay! It's just like I said, Akashiya.”

The vampire was simmering.

“So which club is it?”

Tsukune laughed nervously. He frowned, looking off to a corner as he rubbed the back of his head.

“I don't know. I was thinking something normal. Like swimming.”

Akashiya flinched, causing Kurumu to laugh.

“Oh brighten up, Moka. I brought a suit since I saw it was mentioned on the flier that they had a pool. I haven't seen it yet though.”

“Neither have I.”

“Maybe we should see if they have other clubs.”

Kurumu favored the vampire with a sly smile.

“Afraid you'd lose in a swimsuit competition?”

“No!”

Moka pouted.

“I don't like the idea is all.”

Kurumu thought about it for a moment and shrugged.

“I can't say I care for it either, Tsukune. As a club, it wouldn't be that interesting. Don't you have any other ideas?”

“I did play a little soccer in junior high, but I don't think I'd be cut out for this level of competition.”

Tsukune sighed heavily.

“My parents had me in swimming lessons back in grade school. It was something we did every summer.”

“I'm sure we can find something we can do together, Tsukune!”

Kurumu grinned at Akashiya's enthusiasm. She deftly slipped what remained of her lunch back into the sack she had been given at the counter.

“Well… you two play nice while I go and return this container to Ms. Hitori. Write me in to whichever club you guys decide on. Okay?”

She smiled at the two as she picked up all her things. With her hands full, she compromised with a slight bow of her head.

As she left the room, Kurumu felt a little guilty. She could walk away, leaving those two alone, knowing Akashiya would behave herself. A part of her felt like she should extend similar courtesy, but the other half argued that it was only because she loved him more. She really hoped they would pick a club with a lot of guys that would be good for Akashiya. Kurumu's poor heart could not take much more of this.

There had been no announcement about Saizou's absence today. Burumoto had not said anything, though hanging on Tsukune probably factored largely into his silence. At this point, it was not even much of a surprise that Shirayuki was also absent.

Kurumu wondered if Nazohashi had ever gotten around to talking to that girl, or if that truly was going to remain her unspoken responsibility. Nazohashi had carried on with the regular duties as if nothing at all had happened. The girl had left immediately at the start of the lunch hour so there had been no real chance to talk about yesterday's events.

Kurumu sighed, wondering if she still owed Nazohashi an apology. She briefly wondered what Tsukune would do before realizing he would agonize over whether or not he had to talk with a girl. She settled on what Akashiya would do, and sighed again.

Arriving at her destination, Kurumu drew back the door. As expected, the classroom was empty except for Ms. Hitori. As always, the redhead was at her station, though this time she was seated on a stool with her legs kicked up on top of the counter. For some reason, she was barefoot. For that matter, the teacher was quite dressed down for the day, likely since her class was canceled. It was a wonder why she was even here in her capris denims with the short sleeved, blue blouse untucked on one side.

“I brought back the container from the other day.”

Kurumu smiled, setting down the item on the counter.

“Ms. Kurono. Good to see you have recovered.”

“I heard you came to the rescue.”

The young woman shrugged.

“I only came because Mr. Kotsubo insisted. He had heard about Mr. Komiya's true form and wanted as little trouble as possible.”

“I take it that Saizou was no match for you then.”

Ms. Hitori glanced away, her bangs dancing like tongues of fire for a moment. The strands settled back down gently across her brow.

“Mr. Komiya is a troubled individual. We are presently holding him to see if he knows about the two girls that went missing last week.”

“Missing?”

“Yes. A couple freshmen girls mysteriously vanished shortly after the welcoming ceremony. As both were friends enrolled in this school, we assume that the assailant attacked both of them at once.”

Kurumu frowned. While Saizou had been a problem, she could not deny that his actions had been provoked.

“I'm not sure if Saizou would know anything about that.”

“Oh? Why not? He did attack all three of you girls at once.”

“Saizou's had a fairly busy week. I guess he could know. It's not like I knew him that well.”

“We shall take that into consideration when discussing the length of his suspension.”

Kurumu grimaced.

“Why not expel him?”

“That is not my call to make.”

“Even though he tried to kill us?”

“Yes, but as everyone is alive, there is no harm done. There is another matter that I am being asked to dabble in.”

“Which is?”

“Ms. Shirayuki. Mr. Kotsubo informed me that last Friday was the first time the girl had ever attended gym. I checked with Ms. Nekonome today and found out that your classmate has been absent since the start of the year.”

Kurumu sighed, causing the teacher to perk up.

“Have you spoken with this girl? She did pick you explicitly as a partner.”

“Yes.”

“Good. Make sure she understands that she must attend all her classes. While we can respect her for what she is, she still must follow the rules.”

“What she is?”

“Oh, my pardon. I should not be discussing such things with a student.”

“Shouldn't this matter be handled by the staff?”

“I am aware that Mr. Kotsubo has known this girl when she first arrived on campus a week prior to classes.”

“So why hasn't she come? Teacher, I haven't talked much with Shirayuki. I only know that she does not feel it is important to come to classes.”

“Again, I can't discuss the details as that would infringe upon Ms. Shirayuki's privacy. Simply make sure she comes.”

Kurumu sighed, exasperated with this assignment.

“At least make sure the girl is present for the assessment exams on Friday. If she misses those, she's more likely to be expelled than Mr. Saizou.”

Kurumu grimaced, feeling the priority of the school was a bit off base. Regaining her composure, she bowed politely.

“I understand, Teacher.”

“Ms. Kurono.”

“Yes?”

“Would you have any interest in the stage?”

“The stage?”

“Theater, Ms. Kurono. As the club adviser, I am obligated to bring it up whenever I can.”

Kurumu grinned.

“Oh, well. You probably know why I shouldn't.”

“Nonsense. It is an actor's duty to captivate the audience. You will just have a much easier time in doing so.”

Kurumu giggled and waved a hand dismissively.

“Yea, thanks but I'll have to pass. My friends are picking out a club for me, so whatever they choose is what I'm going to do.”

“Very well. Have fun, Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu smiled and started away. She fully intended to.

* * *

Kurumu tapped her pencil on the pad of paper as she sat across from the vampire. She had noticed something was up, since Akashiya had walked home without Tsukune. It had been so unusual to see the girl simply walk out so quickly that Kurumu had chased after without even thinking to capitalize on the opportunity.

She had attempted inquiring about things, but Akashiya had been very curt and dismissive about whatever the issue was. To change subjects, the vampire had offered to do homework together, so instead of heading for dinner, they had returned straight to the dorms.

Akashiya lived on the fifth floor in room ten. The room was a mirror image of Kurumu’s, though it certainly had more of a warm feel to it. The vampire had a collection of portraits on her desk and potted plants on her windowsill and other open surfaces. A plush pillow was thrown atop the chair while another was nestled beneath Akashiya’s body as she sprawled across the floor with her reference book and notepad in front of her.

Looming over the vampire was an oversized, golden brown bear half the size of Kurumu with a name tag reading Hello, I’m Fluffy. The goofy grinned beast had a cherry red tongue lolling out its toothless maw and an ebony black fedora stitched to its brow between its shaggy ears. It was seated on its hindquarters, its upper paws stretched out towards the vampire. The grayish white fat points that mimicked claws were more suitable for tickling than mauling.

It had already been more than an hour with only minor exchanges about the homework that Kurumu had failed to finish yesterday. It was mildly unsettling, but Kurumu needed the help and knew that whatever was bothering Akashiya likely had little to do with her. At first she had worried that Akashiya had found out about this morning, but the girl would have to be some sort of angel to help like this if that had been the case.

“We should take a break and eat something.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Kurumu sighed, getting to her feet. She dropped her pencil on the pad and made a show of walking over to the closet. She opened it and gasped dramatically.

“Look at all this stuff! You lied to me, Moka!”

“What?!”

“You said you were poor and all I see are fancy garments!”

Kurumu lifted a hand to cover her grin. Actually, there was not all that much in there. Other than the uniforms, there were a couple frilly dresses another mature suit style outfit like the vampire had worn yesterday, this one being a rich crimson, and a small assortment of casual tees, slips and sundresses.

Akashiya took the bait, crawling to her feet to regard her wardrobe. She frowned and held her hands up.

“But it really isn’t that much. That’s everything I own. Don’t you have anything at home?”

Kurumu grabbed the waist of one of the fancy dresses with the white lace stitched into the hem at the knees and shoulders. She smoothed out the inky black fabric to display it.

“This is very nice.”

“I… thanks.”

“I have a few things at home, but nothing this nice.”

“That’s birthday money.”

“Birthday money?”

“Yes. From my mother.”

Akashiya smiled softly.

“Every year she visits.”

“So when is your birthday?”

“In a couple weeks.”

“I bet you are looking forward to it.”

“It's always fun when she comes around. Sometimes she brings my little sister. I'd love to introduce them to my friends here.”

“Well… I'm not sure if I'd want you guys to meet my mother.”

“But you do spend your birthday with her?”

“My birthday falls during the break, so I'll always end up with her.”

Wanting to change subjects, Kurumu grinned. Letting the garment go, she walked around the vampire to the desk. She glanced over the silver frames, picking up one.

“I bet these are pictures of your family.”

“Um… yes. That one is my mother.”

Kurumu regarded the haughty, elder woman staring back at her. The woman held more resemblance to the terrifying true form than the kind girl here. She set the picture down. The next portrait had a younger girl with a smile that looked more genuine, though she also possessed the same crimson eyes and silvery hair.

“Hey, Moka? Do you color your hair?”

“Uh… no. My mother said it was some odd sort of side effect of being sealed.”

Kurumu grinned, picking up the picture of a girl obviously younger than Moka that had reddish hair.

“Oh? What about this girl?”

Moka pressed up next to Kurumu, touching the frame fondly. She smiled.

“That’s Kokoa. And she does dye her hair. Mother said it was to make me feel better about being different.”

“How old?”

“She’s a year younger.”

“You think she will attend Yokai next year?”

The vampire brightened up.

“I really hope she does. Mother would never let Kokoa attend human schools with me.”

Kurumu set the picture down, gesturing to the trio.

“So… it’s just your mother and these two sisters?”

“Yes. They’re all I have.”

“Father?”

Moka frowned.

“I don’t have many memories of him.”

“No pictures of him?”

“It’s not something Mother wished to discuss with me. I don’t think they are together anymore.”

“That’s okay. My father was out of the picture my entire life.”

Kurumu sighed, thinking it might be better to talk about today than anything so personal.

“Moka?”

“Hmmm?”

“What club did Tsukune pick for us to join?”

The vampire’s mood darkened. She turned away, crossing her arms about her chest.

“He picked the swimming club.”

“Oh. That’s not that big of a deal.”

“It is to me.”

Feeling the need to comfort the vampire, Kurumu lifted up onto her toes to drape her arms about Moka’s neck.

“Don’t be like that.”

“And I was having so much fun too. There were so many nice clubs that wanted me to join, and he decides to chase after the one that had no male members.”

“No men?”

“Yes. They made such a big deal of not having any guys in their club. It was clearly not an advertisement to couples.”

“Couples?”

“I… er… well…”

Kurumu grinned, settling back on her feet while dragging her hands back to Moka’s shoulders. She let her fingers glide across the girl as Kurumu slinked about to her front.

“No, no, I get it. You actually think you have a chance at beating me.”

“What?”

Kurumu paused, noting the confusion was very genuine.

“Are you jealous he picked a club with girls?”

“Well… no… yes… I wish you had been there! You’d understand why I’m so upset.”

“Then I will simply have to go with Tsukune so there is no mistake that he belongs to me.”

Moka pouted.

“Tsukune is mine!”

“Not after he sees me in my swimsuit. I’m sorry, Moka, but I don’t even need to use my charm to win that contest.”

“Swimsuit?”

“Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about.”

Kurumu regarded her rival, suddenly recalling something she had once heard about the vampire race.

“Wait. You can't swim, can you?”

Moka offered a mild shrug. Kurumu laughed but quickly covered her mouth when she saw how this only made her friend flinch.

“I'm sorry. Don't you at least have a suit?”

“Why would I?”

Kurumu grinned.

“There's a lot more to a swimsuit than swimming. I barely fit in my suit ten months ago. There's no way I could swim in it tomorrow.”

“What?”

“Diving would be completely out of the question.”

“But, Kurumu-”

“You should still own a suit. Haven't you watched any television at all? Half the girls never set foot in the pool. All they do is lie about on pool chairs, tanning.”

“But it's a swimming club. They will expect us to swim.”

“You worry too much, Moka. If they kick us out, Tsukune isn't going to stay.”

“You think so?”

“I know so. So cheer up. Just see it through for a little while. And who knows. Maybe they won't make a big deal about you not swimming.”

“Kurumu.”

“And it's a great excuse to go buy a suit. I'm sure you could convince your mother to buy… no, wait. That's stupid. I could ask my mother for money saying I joined the club and need a couple suits. What do you say?”

Moka sighed.

“Okay.”

Kurumu grinned, grabbing up both of Moka's hands.

“Then it's settled. Now let's go get something to eat before they close the dining hall and we both regret it.”

Kurumu laughed, not sure if the vampire even remembered her halfhearted suggestion this morning. Not planning to discover how she tasted, Kurumu tugged on the vampire as she backpedaled for the door.

And then Moka smiled, which always made things better.


	9. Caution: Swim At Your Own Risk

Kurumu frowned at the silly girl whom she was stuck with for the entire first term. She had offered to help, but Sakamori was a very stubborn girl, insisting that bowl stirring was her specialty. It would not have been an issue if the airhead had finished when most of the other stations had.

It felt like the day was already dragging on forever. Unable to overcome her guilt, Kurumu had went to Akashiya's room this morning, discovering the vampire was quite the heavy sleeper. With much fussing, she had hurried the girl through the motions of getting dressed and eating breakfast.

There had been so little that could be regarded as conversation with all that yawning and mumbling. Moka had perked up at the mention of Tsukune, though the vampire had suggested walking to school together instead of waiting around for him. Unsure over how the encounter might play out between the two, Kurumu had yielded.

Despite this, Akashiya had greeted Tsukune rather politely when he had arrived. By lunch, the girl acted as if she had completely forgotten about her earlier behavior, talking with much enthusiasm about being in the same club and all the great times they would have.

It had felt so forced that Kurumu could not bring herself to join in the conversation. The oblivious Tsukune had picked up on her reticence, coaxing her in for a reassuring comment that she was fine with the idea. It was not until the talk had ventured into swimsuits that Kurumu had felt better in several aspects.

Thinking of which, she had her yellow bikini worn under her uniform today. She had thought to try it on this morning and impulsively decided to wear it as her lingerie. It had been a little difficult to squeeze into, but it was not like she could pop out with her tight blouse fully buttoned for a change. Normally she would leave a few undone at the top so she could breathe a bit, wearing the sweater over to avoid public indecency.

A flash of metal caught her attention. Sakamori was tipping a bowed, silver flask over the mixture. A clear fluid poured out of the top. Quickly, the redhead screwed the top back on, stowing the container into the depths of her green jacket.

“What are you doing?”

“Adding flavor.”

Sakamori picked the bowl back up, mixing briskly a few strokes before walking out of their station a couple paces.

“Hey, Ms. Hitori?”

Kurumu groaned, hiding her face. She doubted her redheaded companion had anything worthwhile to ask, though Kurumu would like to know if the addition could even be baked in an oven.

“Yes, Ms. Sakamori?”

Still clutching the bowl to her bosom, Sakamori picked up one of the small paper molds they had been handed for today's project.

“What are these for again?”

“You put those in the recesses of the muffin pan and then fill the cups halfway with the batter. Ms. Sakamori. Most groups are already baking. I suggest you do the same.”

“Why not simply fill the holes?”

The teacher favored their group with a blank expression.

“Because that would be much more difficult to wash up. Ms. Kurono, Ms. Shirayuki. Please help your partner.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Kurumu bowed slightly, though she had no idea what was expected. She had already set the stove to the correct temperature and everything they needed was out. Short of yanking the bowl out of Sakamori's arms and doling out globs of goo into the muffin pans, there was nothing else to do.

Kurumu walked over to the island counter, grabbing up a sleeve of muffin cups. She took a yellow one out and timidly licked it.

“What are you doing?”

Kurumu shrugged at the inquisitive redhead, placing the paper sleeve into one of the recesses of the pan. She proceeded to fill the rest of the holes.

“I think they should taste better.”

The girls from the adjacent station giggled.

“You're not supposed to eat them!”

Though she was flush from embarrassment, it was Sakamori that spoke out.

“You're not?”

The girls laughed louder.

“Of course not, Hinoko! Only an idiot would do that.”

Sakamori laughed along.

“Yea, I guess so.”

Kurumu scowled at the redhead.

“Will you stop fooling around?”

Sakamori giggled, moving next to Kurumu. The girl grabbed the fat spoon off the counter, dragging it through her soppy concoction. She proceeded to spill the mixture into the cups as best she could.

“You probably should add more flour.”

“But I put in the right amount.”

“But you added whatever that was to it. The mixture is too wet.”

“No worries, no worries. Being a little wet is not a bad thing.”

The other girls giggled again.

“Watch it, Ms. Kurono. If I wanted to blow up an oven, Hinoko would be the first girl I'd turn to.”

Sakamori laughed, shaking her head. She regarded the mocking brunette while pouring a spoonful of mix onto the counter.

“I don't have any powers to blow things up.”

Kurumu gagged at the girl's inattentiveness.

“You're getting it all over the place!”

“Ooops, sorry. Here, hold this while I lick it up.”

“No, don't do that!”

Kurumu blushed as the redhead bent over to lap her small tongue across the counter. Averting her eyes, Kurumu methodically finished the task. Even after she pulled away the trays, Sakamori kept at her childish manner of cleaning, mindless to the laughter of the girls across the way.

“Quiet down, girls. There is no reason to act so uncivilized.”

Stifling their giggles, several girls bowed respectfully to the teacher while Kurumu shoved both muffin pans into the racks within the stove.

“Mmm? Where'd everything go?”

Kurumu sighed, regarding the bowl which still had a good amount of mixture in it. She handed it back to the bewildered Sakamori. With a gesture to the stove, Kurumu wandered over to the corner next to Shirayuki. There was quite the notable temperature difference.

Sakamori looked about and shrugged. With a wry grin, the girl started spooning the leftovers into her mouth. The girls nearby were either amused or disgusted, their expressions quite blatant.

Kurumu glanced over at Shirayuki. It was obvious the long haired girl lacked peer awareness. Unsurprisingly absent to this point of the day, the quiet girl leaned up against the counter with a small notebook in her hands. The hermit had already copied the recipe into her notes, so her continued scribbling intrigued Kurumu.

“What are you writing in there?”

“Things.”

“Plans to dispose of Sakamori that would not incriminate us?”

“No.”

Kurumu hopped up to sit on the counter, glancing over to see if she could spy the teacher from her vantage. Unable to see Ms. Hitori, she figured she was fine if the other girls did not make a fuss about it.

“Hey, Shirayuki. Are you going to come to class?”

“Maybe.”

“Really?”

“Ms. Hitori spoke to me yesterday.”

“Yesterday? She told me to talk with you. Did she make a special trip to your dorm room last night?”

“No. I didn't know they canceled the class.”

“Oh.”

Kurumu nodded, swinging her legs mildly.

“It's good that you'll be coming to class.”

“I don't like school.”

Sakamori sprung up next to Shirayuki. The girl wobbled slightly as she set the cleaned bowl aside.

“Why not? This is the best time I ever had in my whole life!”

Kurumu's interest was piqued.

“You mean it was worse before?”

“Huh?”

“Your life?”

“What about it?”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“Nevermind.”

“Anyways, did you know they canceled class yesterday?”

Was she really serious? Then again, Sakamori was not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, as some would say.

“I didn't know until Senjo found me sitting in our class halfway through fifth period.”

“You sat in an empty classroom for a half hour and didn't think something was wrong?”

Kurumu chuckled, doubting any answer would make sense. She knew she could not give the girl too much of a hard time. One of the girls from her class had slept through the entire club recruiting process, despite how noisy the second years had been shouting in the hallways.

“I honestly didn't mind all that much. It's nice hanging around friends all day, but being alone now and then is also nice.”

“So you have lots of friends?”

“Oh, bunches of friends! You're my friends. And Senjo is my friend and so is Kinzoku! Have you seen Kinzoku?”

Kurumu shrugged, glancing to Shirayuki, whom was not even paying any attention to this. Guessing from the expectant look, Kurumu responded.

“Um… no.”

“She's very pretty. We went to the same junior high.”

“Oh.”

“But, they don't let us be in the same class because of that.”

“Yea, I heard about that. Trying to mix things up.”

“But she does live on my floor, so I try to talk to her every day.”

Kurumu smiled.

“That sounds nice.”

“But I didn't see her at all last night, or this morning.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I wouldn't worry about it. I missed a whole day of school once and Shirayuki here misses so many classes people don't even know she is a student.”

“I slept in.”

Shirayuki glanced at Kurumu and then to Sakamori. She resumed writing.

“Today was on accident.”

“So… are you going to come to Ms. Nekonome's class later today?”

Shirayuki shrugged without comment.

“I really hope my Monday Muffins turn out to be spectacular!”

“It's Tuesday.”

Sakamori giggled, leaning up close to Shirayuki. Kurumu had not really paid attention to it before, but Sakamori was surprisingly the tallest of them. Not that this was saying much, since Shirayuki was barely taller than Kurumu and Kurumu doubted Sakamori was as tall as Akashiya.

Sakamori squeaked, drawing back.

“You're so cold!”

Several girls giggled again.

“Ms. Kurono, would you please get down.”

Kurumu sighed, scooting off the counter to settle on her feet.

“I would suggest everyone to start washing up if you have not already. When you are finished, you may leave, though please be respectful of the other classes which are still in session.”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Kurumu had no idea how but this was the second time cleanup had fallen onto her shoulders. While she washed up the bowl and all the utensils used in the prep work, Sakamori unsuccessfully tried to weasel Shirayuki into idle banter. For the most part it was talk about gym class and how Shirayuki had avoided participation last week.

Given that her reasons for not participating were overexertion and the heat, Kurumu was fairly certain Shirayuki was some sort of ice spirit. While she could not rule out the possibilities of the undead, most of those aberrations were created, not born. Even then, those beings were not associated with aversions to heat sources like a stove. Regardless of that, Kurumu strongly doubted any of the students at Yokai were anything but naturally born monsters.

Once everything was put away, there was little to do but wait the last few minutes before the muffins could be declared finished. The moist things had not fared well, and probably needed a few more minutes, but Kurumu was not interested in experimenting. She tugged the unstable muffins out of their sockets, handing them off to Sakamori whom was all too happy to take them.

Most of the other groups had left by the time Kurumu washed up her muffin pans. Sakamori and Shirayuki wandered off together, or to be more accurate, Sakamori had chased after the reclusive girl while doing her best to keep her muffins in the paper sack Ms. Hitori had passed out to each group at the start of the hour. The intent was to split among the three whatever project they were making, so Sakamori had quite an overloaded baggie.

It was a couple minutes after the bell when she finally escaped the class with a quick wave to the teacher. She slipped out the nearest door and turned right to walk a short distance before angling through the empty serving line. Knowing she only had a few minutes to change, she quickened her step.

This bikini was not the best at keeping her bounce in check. She fantasized how great it would be once Tsukune saw her bikini. With it being a public place there was only so much she could reasonably expect, but a little kissing in front of Akashiya was certainly in order. It would be best for everyone if the vampire knew her place.

As she played the scenario out in her head, she knew Akashiya would run off and that Tsukune would want to chase the vampire down. Recognizing that this left her abandoned, Kurumu had to refuse his impulsive nice guy attitude. It would be so much better if she went to Moka and let the girl down easily. She had no real idea what she could say beyond a lot of flattery. Kurumu liked hearing compliments.

She slipped through the open door and hurried through the large gymnasium. As usual only one of the heavy, black curtains was down to hide all the stage operating equipment. There were two small hallways that flanked the raised stage. The one directly ahead of her ended in a door that opened into the girls’ locker room. She understood that the other hallway went to the boys. Both hallways had doors that opened into side rooms, which probably were for storage or the theater club.

She suspected the entire freshman class was in gym at the same time, since all six gym teachers were in charge of two classes. Her class had been paired with the girls from Class 1 and was overseen by Ms. Hoshineru, an angelic blond with a rigid attitude.

The boys had their own set of gym teachers. Tsukune’s class was instructed by Mr. Kotsubo, whom forced his class to routinely jog about the track a couple times. Some boys were notably slower, taking in the scenery. It was a little sad that Tsukune was not among the slackers.

She could hear giggles as she reached for the door. She grabbed the small indent and drew the door open. Politely closing the door, she quickly walked past five rows of lockers on her left before turning down the aisle where she kept her things.

There were several rows of lockers which served to divide up the room rather effectively. A narrow window was positioned at the end of each aisle, far enough overhead that very few of the girls could look out even if they did stand on the wooden benches bolted in front of the lockers.

Kurumu preferred this arrangement over those that had the bench bolted down the center of the aisle. They had more sitting and standing room without something cutting through their open space. Naturally, these lockers could not be full height, but it worked well enough considering most girls only had a gym uniform and sports bra in those narrow, metal compartments.

While the lockers divided up the exterior wall, the other wall divided the locker room from the showers and toilets. While the showers did have stalls, they lacked curtains. She had yet to see any girl bother using them. Despite all her flaunting in the past, Kurumu had never been one to bare her assets to other girls. Confident words had always been enough.

Besides, there was no real reward to putting so much effort into gym that would require a shower. There was not a sports bra in existence that could keep her body comfortably contained. Too much exertion eventually resulted in a sore chest. She only needed to do enough to get a passing grade.

Kurumu got to her locker and waited a moment or two. It would seem that the peeper was either absent or had not arrived. Smirking, she pulled her sweater over her head to sling it over her arm before dialing in the combination on her lock she had provided. Yanking the lock down, she turned it and pulled the loop through so she could open the door.

Kurumu’s was curious about this creeper. Their secret admirer clearly had a vantage point that allowed him to see through that window without being as obvious as pressing his face to the glass. She kind of wondered how that was possible since the only thing she would see if she got up on those benches was the row of trees far off in the distance. Was this guy seriously sitting up in some tree all the way out there? And more importantly, didn’t this guy have classes to attend? She kind of wondered if he was even a student.

She tossed the lock into the bottom next to her running shoes. She grabbed her gym tee, which had been suspended on a small hanger hooked over a metal rod in the back of the compartment. Draping this over her shoulder, she started undoing the buttons down her front.

“Hey, Ms. Kurono!”

The girl that popped her head around the corner was a twin. With a bright smile, she stepped into the aisle with a slight skip. The twins shared home economics, though all the way on the other side of the classroom, but as they were also from Ms. Kagome's homeroom, they were part of Kurumu's gym group.

Her wavy, blackish green hair danced lightly upon her shoulders. Her bangs were held back on one side by a black clip in the shape of a narrow, spiral shell. Her uncovered right eye sparkled with the faintest of green hues.

Kurumu smiled as she juggled clothes around while slipping out of her blouse. Her mind was a complete blank as to what this girl's name was, not that it mattered as she could not tell this one from the other. The only difference between the two was one clipped her hair on the right and the other the left.

The girl giggled, gesturing at Kurumu.

“I guess you are in the club then.”

“Oh, yea. You are too?”

“Both of us are. So that's your swimsuit?”

“Mhm.”

Kurumu promptly pulled the strings behind her neck to loosen the flimsy garment. Still holding most her clothes on her arm or shoulder, Kurumu smiled at the girl.

“Care to loosen me up?”

“You're as bad as my sister. Here, I'll hold your things.”

Kurumu passed off her clothes into the small hands of the girl. With both her hands, it was easy to get at the strings. She felt like she had been sprung loose and with a giggle, she grabbed up her sports bra and slipped it overhead.

“We have suits for new members to use. Though Ms. Ichinose is encouraging all of us to wear bikinis these first couple days to keep the boys interested in staying in our club.”

“Staying in your club?”

“I guess very few boys stick with it after the first week. Then again, I suppose that can't be helped.”

“Can't be helped?”

The girl smiled and shrugged.

“Most guys lack the stamina. It's nothing you have to worry about though.”

After a bit of struggle, Kurumu finally managed to get her left breast comfortably in this snug contraption. Tugging the tee off the hanger, she slipped her blouse and sweater onto it before putting it back in the locker.

“Well… I only joined because my friends are.”

“Oh. Well, I-”

“Tarako! Tarako!”

The other twin bounded around the aisle. The girl's pert breasts were hanging out over the band that she had twisted about her torso. The tiny globes of pale, white flesh were dotted with dark nipples that pointed out like the end of a sharpie. The twin was scowling as she tried to work at where the clips hooked together. With a huff, she pointed at the offending garment with a demanding expression leveled at her sister.

“Get this fucking thing off of me!”

The quieter twin laughed.

“Don't you laugh! I hate this thing!”

“Sorry. We're both kind of new to the whole lingerie thing.”

“Humans are so fucking stupid! What's the point of wearing this shit anyways?! Are you going to help me or not?!”

“Okay, Haraka. We can take this back to our lockers. I'll be seeing you later, Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu nodded as the pair wandered off. Considering Haraka would barely be considered a handful, the bra likely was pointless on that poor girl. If all the competition was like that, it might not be a bad club. Smiling, she tugged her tee over her head as she finished getting ready for gym.

* * *

The pool was a lot further from campus than she thought it would be. Beyond the athletic fields was a wide trail that winded through the trees till it came to a clearing. With all the splashing and playful shouts coming from the pool, they could not hear any sounds from the school. The place felt very isolated from the world.

Built out of polished white, stone blocks, the structure declared its independence from nature. A wide stairway was sculpted into the long side with a chain link fence bolted along the perimeter. This barrier stretched up higher than some of the nearby trees. A plastic mesh sheathing was wrapped about most of the fence with the clear purpose of preventing stray leaves and debris from blowing into the pool.

At the foot of the stairway was a gate which was presently drawn open. Along the base were several doors that likely opened into storage compartments and bathrooms. Kurumu saw a couple boys exit from one such door, both wearing the same bland style of swimming trunks. The two eagerly ran past the open gate and up the stairs.

“Maybe we should go back?”

Akashiya clung so tightly to Tsukune's arm, forcing them to stop. The vampire's eyes wavered, flinching at the splashing sounds.

“Oh, come on, Moka. Don't you want to swim with me?”

“It's not that… I…”

“Moka forgot to bring a swimsuit, so she's a little embarrassed.”

“Yea… that's right. So we probably shouldn't go today.”

Tsukune smiled warmly, tugging on the vampire.

“It's a swimming club. I'm sure they would have something for you to wear.”

“But, I-”

“I didn't bring anything either, but it looks like those girls have a box of suits. See.”

Sure enough, there was a trio of girls stationed at the foot of the stairs whom were all smiles and handing out shorts to eager boys that were lining up to join the popular club. There certainly were not many girls milling about the place, which Kurumu found slightly disturbing.

“I'll stay with you, Moka. We can at least check it out.”

“O-okay.”

Kurumu felt really bad for the vampire, but it really was not her place to explain things to Tsukune. She only knew by rumors that vampires could not swim because it weakened them. If he wanted truthful specifics, he would have to ask Moka.

Kurumu did not recognize the trio of girls at the gate. Two had short hair that was almost identical, though one was blonde while the other had jet black hair. These two were smiling so widely it looked like their faces could split. With animated quips and gestures, the two handed out whatever size of shorts the boys wanted. They then directed the boys to the changing room around the corner.

The third girl was clearly older and had flowing, bluish green hair that fell down to the small of her back. A row of shells ringed the back and sides of her head. Flipping her hair about her ear, the young woman smiled as she stepped out from her companions. It was not very subtle how she thrust out her chest, barely contained in that skimpy, purple string bikini.

“So, I see you have come, Mr. Aono.”

Tsukune blushed.

“Uh… yes… my name…?”

“Oh, I could never forget you.”

Kurumu felt threatened by this girl. That suit was so minimalistic that it probably bared more skin than her undersized bikini. Kurumu glowered, casting a glance at Moka. Given the vampire's look of disdain for this girl, Kurumu felt better about sticking her nose up as she pointedly stepped into the line of sight.

“And you are?”

“Ah, yes. You must be the third wheel.”

Kurumu twitched.

“It's Kurono. Kurono Kurumu. And I'm not the third wheel!”

“My apologies. Given how this one was hanging all over him yesterday, I assumed the person they were writing in was only a friend.”

Kurumu whirled on the vampire.

“Moka!”

The vampire flinched.

“What?”

With a huff, Kurumu turned back to the girl.

“For the record, I am the girlfriend.”

“Calm down, Kurumu. Eh… anyways. Ms.… uh…”

“Ichinose Tamao.”

“Yes, Ms. Ichinose. My friends and I don't have suits so…”

“Oh, that is a problem.”

“What?”

“Well, you see, we barely had any female registrants so we did not bring any extras to the pool.”

Kurumu frowned, quite aware that the twins would be new registrants. Aware the woman was lying, she gestured at the doors.

“So what the heck are all these doors here for? Don't you have a storeroom here? It seems kind of stupid to have to run all the way back to campus.”

The woman laughed.

“Trust me, girls. You would not want to wear anything we have here. If you like, I could send one of our initiates with you.”

“Initiates?”

“Yes, we have a few first years that applied with their school registration. They know where we keep such things and would be happy to help you.”

Realizing this explained the twins, Kurumu glanced back at Moka. She had no desire to leave Tsukune alone with this woman, though it did seem like the woman was telling the truth so far.

“Can you go back by yourself?”

“What?”

“I have a suit, so I don't have to go anywhere.”

“Kurumu!”

“You have a suit?”

“Of course I do.”

Kurumu promptly started to undress, pulling her sweater off first. Oh, it was delightfully delicious as she felt his desire increase rapidly with every button she unfastened. It was remarkably exquisite when she loosened up the skirt and it fell about her ankles, exposing parts of her body she could tell he had longed to see. With a shiver, she bent over slowly as she stepped out of her skirt.

That woman's laughter spoiled the moment.

“Oh dear me, child. You do know that you are going to get wet. What did you plan to do after swimming?”

Kurumu scowled, as she snatched up her skirt.

“I can walk back like this.”

She smirked as she handed her things over to a gaping Tsukune.

“I bet he'd even enjoy it.”

Kurumu noticed the look on Moka's face and winced. Biting her lower lip she cupped her tits and mouthed her suggestion for Moka to go and get a suit. With a huff, the vampire turned her head aside.

“As amusing as I find this, I think Mr. Aono needs a change. Girls, please help this young man get dressed into appropriate attire.”

“Yes, Captain!”

The two girls sprang into action, thrusting the box of suits into his hands before dragging him off around the corner. Kurumu scowled at the sudden retreat, pouting as she had to pick her things up off the ground.

“I suppose I'll be seeing the both of you in the pool then.”

The woman laughed as she departed. Kurumu stared daggers into that smooth back, hoping that bitch would slip and fall face first into that concrete.

“Why did you do that, Kurumu?!”

Kurumu looked over at the angry vampire and smiled.

“What was I supposed to do? We can't leave her alone with Tsukune.”

“I know that. But… what am I supposed to do?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I guess you could strip down to your underwear.”

“Wh-what?!”

“It is a pool.”

Kurumu smirked.

“You might even stand a fighting chance if what you're wearing is cute enough.”

“But I… can't.”

“Then just sit with me. If things get too bothersome, I'll drag Tsukune out of the pool. Is that okay?”

Moka pouted.

“I guess.”

“Then come on.”

Smiling, Kurumu started up the stairs with a reluctant Moka a couple steps behind. As she ascended, she noted that the fence angled in at the top towards the center but did not fully enclose the facility. An opening about the size of the pool remained at the center.

The pool was large and bustling with activity. There were eight diving platforms, though only the farthest two were roped off for use by those serious about swimming. The rest of the pool was open and was largely being used like any public pool Kurumu had seen in movies. Hardly activity befitting a swimming club, but the twin had said the club was trying hard to recruit male members.

In that end, it looked like the club was quite successful. There was easily twice as many guys as bikini clad girls in the pool. Kurumu spied one of the twins using the speed lanes for laps. She wondered where the other one was as she took a seat on a chair that flanked a rounded, glass table. The metal frame that supported the table had a cylinder that jutted through the center of the glass. Speared into this hollow cylinder was a red and white umbrella.

Kurumu flopped her uniform on the table. Sighing, she bent down and slipped off her shoes and socks, tossing them up with the rest of her things. She glanced over at the brooding vampire, feeling like the air around the girl was darker and heavier.

“Cheer up, Moka. They're not going to run this more than an hour since we all have to go back to our class to get our school things.”

“Stupid Tsukune.”

Kurumu sighed, thinking it best to stay out of that. She looked over the many boys goofing off in the pool. There was some mild interest in her, but she imagined most of their passion was directed at the overly playful behavior these girls were exhibiting. It was downright shameless, as some were allowing the boys to touch them in personal places while others were intimately draped all over guys. Kurumu had no interest winning a competition that required her to get physical like that.

She perked up once Tsukune appeared at the top of the stairs. The blonde was with him and gestured to the pool. Then with a smile, the girl hopped back down the stairs while Tsukune wandered aimlessly for a second or two before spying them. He smiled as he took a few steps towards them, but frowned with a glance at Moka.

“What's Moka doing?”

“Pouting.”

“I'm not pouting.”

“Don't you want to swim?”

“No, I don't!”

Kurumu laughed, waving her hands animatedly.

“We're just going to watch you for now, okay?”

“Kurumu?”

“Go on. Show us what those years of swimming lessons did for you.”

“Um… right.”

There was a slosh of water as Captain Harlot appeared at the side of the pool, draping her body over the side. She grinned, gesturing at Tsukune. With her head tilted and her back arched, very little was left to the imagination with how much cleavage she had bared.

“There you are. Come and join us, Mr. Aono.”

Tsukune smiled, looking over both of them. With a shrug, he walked over to the edge of the pool and sat down next to the captain. He dangled his legs into the water, scooting off the lip till only his head and arms were free.

“Careful now. If you want, we can move this over to the shallow end.”

“Oh, that's not needed. I can swim very well.”

“Nonsense. As the captain, it is my duty to estimate every member's abilities first. We should examine the basics first.”

“Uh… okay.”

Kurumu scowled as that hussy swam off with Tsukune. She could hardly believe Tsukune had fallen for such a ridiculous lie. Every other guy in the pool was horsing off like a horny devil finally getting to touch some female flesh. None were being evaluated for their swimming skills.

Kurumu grimaced, clutching at her breast. It felt like someone was squeezing down on her heart, making her whole chest ache. She rubbed at the pain, angrily watching as that whore rubbed up against Tsukune's back. Her hand clenched into a fist as that woman drew lines down his arms and showed him how to stroke properly.

“That's it!”

Moka was on her feet, fuming.

“I thought you wanted to be in a club with me, but you only want to be around other girls!”

Tsukune had recovered enough from his enjoyment to hustle through the water towards the vampire. It would have been a nobler act if he had managed to amputate that parasitic growth that was attached about his torso.

“Wait, Moka, you don't understand!”

“No, you don't understand!”

Ichinose splashed a good amount of water out to the vampire. Moka stepped back, holding her arms up while the older woman laughed.

“Honestly, what does understanding have to do with anything? If you're not here to swim, then leave.”

Gritting her teeth, Kurumu got to her feet. She padded over to the altercation but not before the cruel woman sloshed a bigger gout of water at Moka. Moka cried out, faltering back a step.

“Moka?”

Trembling, Moka turned and ran off. The blonde and dark haired girl came up the stairs at about the same time as Moka hurried down them. The two looked at each other and shrugged. Then with wide grins, the two ran to the edge of the pool and jumped in.

As she listened to Ichinose's annoying laughter, Kurumu was torn over what to do. She wanted to chase after her friend, but leaving Tsukune with this bitch was far worse. Angrily she turned on the hussy.

“Are you happy?”

“Oh, why are you in such a huff?”

Kurumu scowled. She could tell by Tsukune's posture that he was not pleased with this either.

“Tsukune, we are leaving!”

“Kurumu?!”

She glared at the startled boy as she walked over to the edge. Kneeling down on her right leg, she held her hand out to him.

“Come on! You know why you joined this club and it was not for this crap!”

“Excuse me, but I'm only concerned for his safety.”

“Safety?! Excuse me, but I know bullshit when I hear it! Tsukune!”

He bowed his head. With a deep breath, he turned on the woman that was lingering at his side.

“I'm sorry, Ms. Ichinose. But if Moka can't be part of this, then I can't continue.”

Kurumu regarded the woman smugly. She only glimpsed a smile on Ichinose's face before the captain snagged up her hand and yanked her in. Kurumu managed a startled squeal as her body fell towards the water. There was a flash of pain across her chest and then she was submerged. Panicked, she flailed about for a moment till her toes found the bottom of the pool. Her heart beat madly as she clutched her chest, shaking her drenched locks as she took in ragged breaths.

“Kurumu! Grg!”

She staggered back from the sheer volume of unbridled lust directed at her. With only a slight draw of her fingers, she realized what happened. Whimpering, she settled lower into the water.

“Oh dear. Seems that little thing of yours was more fragile than I thought.”

Ichinose had a wicked grin on her lips as she held up half of the yellow top. The other was floating in the water nearby.

“Give it… back.”

“You don't look so well, Ms. Kurono. Is the water not to your liking?”

Kurumu pressed back against the edge, her body trembling. She could feel that more people had taken notice of the situation. It was too much for her to handle. She hugged her shoulders tightly.

“Please.”

“Captain! Captain!”

There was huffing and puffing as the shadow of a girl came to hover over them.

“I'm sorry, Captain. Ms. Kagome kept me late.”

“Ah, Tarako. Would you be so kind as to help Ms. Kurono out of the pool?”

“But… I just got here!”

“Yes, but everyone else is already in the pool. Quickly, get a towel. The poor girl has had an accident.”

If she had a free hand she would strangle that bitch. As was, all she could do was shudder under the pounding her senses endured. She heard the girl hurry off.

“Give me my bikini!”

Ichinose chuckled, tossing half at her. Kurumu scowled with a shiver. Risking exposure, she grabbed up the fabric. She noted the clean tear through the part that held the cups together. She relaxed her arm as she glanced down, confirming a very shallow cut between her breasts.

“You cut me!”

“Oh really? I see no cut.”

Kurumu growled, realizing there was no way she could call Ichinose out on that without exposing herself.

“Kurumu, are you okay?”

She shivered as Tsukune took a step closer. She could not be near him right now. Not after he had thought such wonderful things about her. She had to escape before she made a complete fool of herself.

“I'm fine. I just… I need to get out of the water. I… I should check on Moka. Yea… just wait here till I get her.”

“What an excellent idea.”

“Fuck off, bitch!”

“Um… I brought a towel.”

Tarako had quite a worried expression as she knelt down. The twin was still dressed in the class uniform. The girl held her arms out as an invitation.

Turning her back to Tsukune, Kurumu clambered out of the pool and quickly wrapped the towel about her torso. Her body still trembled, but it felt like much of the attention had wandered off. Only Tsukune's hunger remained as he wandered over to the edge of the pool.

“Tarako.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Could you take Ms. Kurono to where we keep our spare suits?”

“But, Captain!”

“You'll learn not to be late next time.”

“I… I should go with her.”

Kurumu stiffened at his offer.

“Oh, Mr. Aono. I know you want to, but she will come right back. You may take your time with her, Tarako, but do bring her back. She's made this water very delicious.”

Tarako seized up the hand Kurumu was not using to hold the towel. The girl tugged, smiling at her.

“Wait! Tsukune should come with me.”

“Such a stubborn girl. Come with me, Mr. Aono.”

Kurumu whirled about angrily, mindless that her hand was held quite firmly by the twin. She scowled at the woman that was all over Tsukune once again. She could not believe he was actually allowing that bitch to lead him back out into the deep.

And then there was a startled cry.

Kurumu saw that one of the guys was shaking as a girl from the club bit down on his bicep. The water splashed about and a wide fish tail surfaced for a moment. More screams from other guys filled the air as several girls clamped their jaws down on unsuspecting male partners. Luckily as there were more guys than girls, many were swimming frantically to get out of the pool to avoid the same fate.

Ichinose laughed at Tsukune's concerned look. She swam about him, flipping her large fish tail for him to clearly see. Fins suddenly sprouted at the side of her face as her hands fattened into webbed appendages with black talons at the end of each digit.

“Oh, yes, Aono Tsukune! I've wanted you since I first saw you. You have such a delicious scent that I could not bear to let you go.”

Kurumu took a step towards the water, but gasped as she was yanked by her hand, her body pressing back against Tarako. Kurumu shivered at a new sensation of desire pouring into her core as the twin nuzzled her cheek against Kurumu's ear. Kurumu whimpered as teeth sank into her collarbone.

“Kurumu!”

It felt so wonderful. Every ounce of pent up frustration drifted away as the muscles in her body relaxed. Her knees buckled as she lost the strength to stand. The connection broke abruptly as hands desperately tried to keep her up. Her captor fell back roughly, but the face hovered over her, filled with concern.

“Ms. Kurono?! Ms. Kurono?! Was it too much?”

Kurumu's vision drifted lazily as she heard the screams all around though it all sounded like it came from somewhere far off. She tried to move her arms but they would not respond.

“Don't worry. It's only temporary. We're not going to kill anyone. Not with this many witnesses.”

Despite the reassurances, Kurumu worried greatly about Tsukune. She rolled her head to the side, peering over Tarako's knee into the pool. Ichinose was all over Tsukune, looking like she was going to eat him whole.

“Tsukune!”

Moka? Kurumu saw the vampire run to the edge of the pool with a very determined look. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The vampire dove into the pool.

“No.”

Kurumu rolled out of Tarako's lap onto her hands and knees. She crawled forward a step, but collapsed. There was no sign of the vampire.

“No.”

Ichinose was laughing and Tsukune was calling out Moka's name with much concern. She was not coming back up.

“No.”

“Ms. Kurono, please don't exert yourself.”

Kurumu pushed back up on her hands. It did not matter if everyone knew. She had to save them both.

“No!”

She screamed as her wings tore through the towel. Unleashing her true form gave her a new surge of power and clarity. With a pump of her wings, she lifted off the ground and faced her startled enemy.

“Tsukune!”

She dove in like an arrow, smashing against Ichinose. The woman got her arms up just in time to catch hers. Her face had turned into something hideous, but the sneer was unmistakable. Kurumu grimaced, forcing the creature away from Tsukune, but unable to do much else. She pumped her wings hard, trying to push Ichinose towards an edge, but could not move her.

“You fool! In the water, the mermaid is invincible!”

“Tsukune! Find Moka! Get her out of here!”

“What do you plan to do, Succubus? Your charms won't work here!”

Kurumu grunted, grabbing tightly to the woman's arms and yanking. Her wings worked hard, trying to gain altitude, but the laughing bitch would not budge.

“That won't work.”

“Because you're so fucking heavy!”

Ichinose scowled, yanking down so hard Kurumu cried out. It was all she could do to avoid being pulled into the water.

A sudden surge of power roiled out that was familiar and terrifying. It was so startling that Ichinose's grip was lost, allowing a very relieved Kurumu to fly away. Kurumu circled, noting the gout of water that rushed out as raw energy sparkled along the fluid barrier. In the center of that power was the crimson eyed monster that had threatened to tear her apart.

Mildly relieved that this meant Tsukune had saved Moka, Kurumu cared little about this true form. Scowling, Kurumu scanned the water for Tsukune. She spied him at the edge of the electric sphere, holding the cross pendent in his hand. She quickly flew down to him, snatching him up by his arm and lifted him from danger.

“You bitch! You cost me my meal!”

With a smirk, Kurumu wondered whom Ichinose was addressing. She landed next to the table with her things, setting an amazed Tsukune down. She patted down his shoulders and visually checked his skin for any injury.

Finding none, she hugged him tightly. It felt so good to feel him against her. She rubbed her cheek against his chest, relieved that he was safe and a little surprised that she was drawing no response at all from him.

“Kurumu? Wait! Something's wrong!”

Kurumu frowned, checking her front. Thanks to her wings spearing through the towel in the back, the fabric was effectively serving as a white tube top. Supposing his words were not directed at her wardrobe, she glanced over her shoulder. The silver haired vampire looked fairly confident, but Tsukune was correct. For some reason, she was not moving.

“You may be strong, but you're no match for a mermaid in water. Get her, girls!”

Several mermaids rushed towards the vampire. This Akashiya bowed her head with a slight smirk on her lips. Then with a cry, she jumped straight up into the air, right through the open center of the fence.

“That power.”

Kurumu shook her head as the water rushed back in to fill the void the vampire had left. Clearly Akashiya had pumped out a lot of energy to push the water back. Now that she was free, all that energy would be at her disposal. It was shocking that the mermaids in pursuit and Ichinose all took the bait. Five of them launched out of the water.

Kurumu winced as the vampire came back down, leading with her foot. She stomped on the face of the first mermaid and swung out wide with her fist to send another girl in a crushing path against the outer fence. Springing off the first opponent, Akashiya executed a perfect somersault kick to the chin of the third adversary. The poor girl sailed clear out of the opening above the pool, likely to crash on the dirt somewhere outside.

There was a moment of surprise in the vampire's face as the fourth mermaid slammed up against her. Akashiya twisted in midair with this girl, tucking in her knees between them at the apex of the new ascent. The smirk returned as the vampire turned to look straight down at Ichinose.

With a kick, she launched the fourth so high into the sky that she became nothing but a speck. Akashiya shot down like a lance into Ichinose. She caught the captain in the face with a punch that looked and sounded devastating. Then with a final twist, she kicked off the unconscious opponent to land gracefully on her feet at the side of the pool.

“Holy shit. She just took out five of our seniors.”

Kurumu snorted a laugh, glancing over at Tarako. She released Tsukune to wander over to the girl.

“I have a feeling that we are not going to be joining this club.”

Tarako pouted, glancing over to the pool. Kurumu followed her gaze, noting Ichinose was floating in the water with one of the others. Several of the girls remained in the pool, only their heads poking out.

A sharp slap caught her attention.

The silver haired vampire held an angry gaze upon Tsukune, whom was clutching his cheek. Kurumu hurried over to him, clutching his shoulder and holding her hand out at this beast. Every fiber of her being tensed up, aware that this being would destroy her if it so desired.

“Stop! It's not his fault!”

“He made her cry.”

Kurumu paused.

“She politely tried to get him to pick a different club, but he would not listen. A man who doesn't care for her feelings has no business being near me.”

“Then she needs to learn how to be more direct!”

Kurumu flinched as the vampire approached her. She drew away from Tsukune, aware that she was the target of this ire. Balling her hands into fists, she held her hands up.

The crimson eyes softened as the vampire smirked.

“Take better care of her.”

Turning a scowl upon Tsukune, the vampire snatched up the pendent. With a simple gesture, the vampire hooked the cross back onto the links. It happened so quickly that Kurumu could not pick up on any special trick.

Without warning, Moka fell against her. The rosy color quickly returned to her long tresses as the girl weighed heavily against Kurumu. She staggered back a step and made a slight cry.

“Help! She's heavy!”

In seconds, Tsukune and Tarako aided her.


	10. Broaden the Horizons

Kurumu knocked on Moka’s door. She glanced at her wrist, noting it was not quite seven. She had meant to get here earlier but the water had been so nice this morning that she had drifted off a bit. A little stumble ending with a jarring knock to her shoulder had perked her up to the sounds of the laughter from girls that happened to hear her misfortune.

It did not feel like she was being treated differently, but she doubted that would last long. Even if the twins had been the only freshmen girls at the pool, every guy there had been freshmen boys. It might take some days for word to get around, but eventually she was going to suffer the consequences.

Unabara Tarako was a strange girl. Despite trying to chase the twin off with words, the young mermaid had walked part of the way with them back to the dormitories in case they needed her help. Since she had been so insistent, Kurumu had handed off her clothes to the nuisance while Tsukune helped her support the barely conscious Moka.

Surprisingly Tsukune had struck up a conversation with the twin without any hint of nervousness. He was so unbelievably polite and understanding to this girl that had participated in the attack, but it was undoubtedly his warm nature that had encouraged the twin to be so forthcoming with her answers.

Kurumu had never met a mermaid before, so much of the conversation was news to her. Most of it was grisly, unwelcome information that she would rather forget. Still, the explanation had been sound enough for Tsukune to discourage her from holding a grudge over the betrayal.

Mermaids thrived off of desire, something Kurumu could empathize with. But unlike her, these creatures required it as part of their procreation. According to Tarako, the seniors had captured a merman last year, which was difficult in of itself. Not wanting to pass the chance up, the club was hoping to use the recruitment drive as a way to produce as many eggs as they could by feeding off the lustful boys.

Naturally, Tsukune was concerned about the imprisoned merman, but Tarako admitted no knowledge of his location. According to her, mermen were wandering spirits with voracious appetites, unworthy of his concern. They were often chased off into the wild by their mothers shortly before school age simply to keep the rest of the brood safe. Tarako had wandered off into a personal account of how dangerous mermen were, which without all the gory details, concluded with the twins being orphaned and raised by the community.

The only other interesting fact drawn from the conversation was none of the freshmen girls were efflorent. Unfamiliar with the word, Tarako shyly admitted that she was still an adolescent, unable to produce eggs. Kurumu had angrily demanded to know why she had been bitten, but that had been around the point Moka had regained enough sense to walk on her own. Tarako had quickly excused herself with many apologies while handing Kurumu everything she had been carrying.

Kurumu knocked on the door again, already aware of how heavy a sleeper Moka was. After Tarako's departure, she had left Moka with Tsukune at the dining hall. Changing in her room and throwing away her suit with some sadness, she had gone back to their classroom to retrieve their schoolbags. When she returned, Tsukune had been notably eager to take his things and retire for the night, leaving Moka in her care.

Kurumu had a feeling Tsukune was not having an easy time with his peers. She felt certain there would be some jealousy towards his position, but she was starting to wonder if she was being too naïve in thinking the situation would not become hostile. In junior high, civility was often maintained by the knowledge of true forms. Weaker creatures did not dare take positions they could not defend. It might only be a matter of time before some envious student challenged Tsukune.

Sighing, she knocked on the door again. She wished there was something she could do for him, but it was no good. The notion of her having to protect him would only ruin his reputation further once the knowledge of her true form got around. At this point, she hoped he was not a witch as that would only make things worse.

“Come on, Moka! If you don't get up, I'm going to eat breakfast alone with Tsukune.”

There was a slight groan and a murmur of his name. Kurumu sighed, glancing at her wrist again. It was not like any time had really passed since she last looked but it felt like this was taking forever.

“Wake up! You don't even have time for a shower at this point and I know you didn't take one last night. Wake up, Moka!”

There was a thud against the door that caused Kurumu worry.

“Moka?”

Some shuffling sounds drifted to her. With much relief, Kurumu heard the lock being drawn back before the door opened.

Moka yawned, her eyes barely open as she rubbed the side of her cheek. She leaned heavily against the edge of the door, resting her head upon it once her yawn was finished. She smacked her lips twice and then relaxed, her eyes closing once again.

“Don't sleep standing up. You have to get dressed.”

Moka groaned, staggering back a step. She yawned again, stretching her arms over her head. The short sleeves of her pink tee slipped down to her narrow shoulders. The large, white cat head sported on the center of the tee jutted out with the stretch. Dressed down, Moka did have some notable curves.

Kurumu threw her hands out unsuccessfully as Moka unexpectedly tripped over her own ankle, falling backwards against the plush bear and sheets.

Wincing, Kurumu shut the door behind her. She looked over the groaning girl, but did not see any notable injury. Moka was covering her face with both hands, drawing a bare knee up. The baggy gray shorts that accompanied the sleep wear fell up her thigh.

“Are you okay?”

Moka only groaned in response. The vampire lifted her butt up, reaching beneath her to pull out the stuffed animal. Grimacing, she tossed the cushion aside.

“Hurry up, Moka. You might have time for a quick shower.”

Moka grunted. Her eyes flickered open.

“What are you talking about?”

“I'm talking about getting ready for school.”

Moka yawned.

“I don't shower. Too much trouble.”

Kurumu was about to protest when she realized how stupid she sounded. But then she had to question hygiene.

“Don't you have to do something to freshen up? Don't tell me you use perfume to get by.”

Moka grimaced. She rolled over and crawled on all fours to her closet. Grabbing the handles, she pulled herself up on her feet.

“I use a sponge and soap.”

Kurumu giggled at the image of Moka sitting on a stool, naked, with a peanut shaped, orange sponge and a bucket of suds nearby. But thinking of all the bubbles in the sensitive places had her wonder.

“Don't you have to rinse off?”

Moka laughed mildly as she pulled a uniform out of her closet. She regarded it as if it were a foreign object before dropping it down at her feet. She yawned again.

“Of course I do. I have to… mix the water with some… scented powder first. It smells nice… though I would like some perfume.”

“I always pick the shampoo and soap that has the loveliest fragrances, since I can't afford anything real nice.”

Moka pulled her tee over her head, revealing the white strap of a simple bra that looked not much different than a sports bra. She folded her tee sleeve to sleeve and in half again, setting it down in a pile that was accumulating near the closet. The vampire picked up the uniform and started unfastening the buttons to the blouse.

“You're so silly.”

“Huh?”

“Why would you wear that to bed?”

Moka frowned, rubbing her eyes as she faced Kurumu. Confused, the vampire gestured to the discarded tee.

“What? This?”

Kurumu shook her head. She hopped over the sheets and poked Moka on the side of her breast. She glimpsed a small pink bow stitched at the top of the center where the cups came together.

“No, that!”

Moka flushed, withdrawing a step. She weakly slapped at a hand that was not there while holding the uniform protectively over her torso.

“Let me get dressed.”

Kurumu giggled, backing off. The vampire was reluctant to resume, but after a few seconds of silence, she removed the blouse and jacket from the hanger before slipping into the heavy garments and buttoning up.

Kurumu smiled, glancing into the closet.

“So is your sponge in the closet here?”

“In a bucket… in the cabinet.”

“Ha! So you do use a bucket!”

Moka meticulously folded her gray shorts, regarding her with a vacant expression.

“What else would I use?”

“Do you have a stool in here too?”

Moka smiled as she set her shorts in the pile. Grabbing the hem of her cotton panties, she bent forward as she slipped out of them. It was a miracle the vampire did not fall with how unsteady she was. Like everything else, she folded the panties in half before setting them aside.

An alarm started buzzing as Moka got the rest of her things on. Kurumu kicked around the sheets a little, exposing an ebony box with crimson numbers. She bent down and pressed the tiny cancel button which was next to the huge snooze button. It was now seven.

“You have an alarm?”

Moka was yawning as she tightened her skirt about her hips. She nodded, shutting the closet doors and grabbing her schoolbag off her desk.

“I didn't hear it go off yesterday.”

Moka's eyes were half open as she covered her mouth. She shrugged.

“We must have left before it went off.”

Lethargically, Moka unzipped the small compartment of her bag to make it into a satchel. Kurumu followed suit, though she finished the task and had it slung about her much quicker. She backed out of the room, grabbing Moka's keys and ID off the counter while waving the girl onwards.

The vampire shuffled out of the room and stretched her arms overhead, allowing the door to close behind her. With a heavy sigh, Moka held her hand out. She gripped the strap of her bag with her other hand, waiting for her keys and card. Handing them over, Kurumu guided her friend to the elevator.

“I should get you up earlier.”

“Why?”

“Because I think it would be funny.”

Moka yawned as the elevator doors opened. She shuffled into the car and leaned into the back corner. Closing her eyes, she sighed.

“Aren't you awake yet?”

“Five more minutes.”

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head as the doors started to close.

“Hold up, hold up!”

A familiar girl with an offside ponytail hopped into view. Kurumu punched the open button, causing the doors to swing back wide. The dark haired girl smiled with much relief, since with there being only two elevators, missing one could turn out to be a long wait.

The girl smiled meekly, clutching her bag by the handle with both hands. She slipped in next to Kurumu, offering a slight wave to Moka. The vampire weakly returned the gesture as the doors closed.

“Anyways, with how clumsy you are, it would be amusing.”

“Huh?”

“Sleep walker over there.”

Moka yawned grandly. The vampire nuzzled up against the corner, rubbing her cheek on what could hardly be considered a comfortable surface.

“I'm not walking.”

Kurumu frowned as she regarded the short girl. There weren't too many girls shorter than her, and the girl looked very familiar.

“Um… do I know you?”

The girl lowered her head and shrugged.

“I… I share your homeroom. Genzouyaki Nerume.”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head. She felt silly for not picking it up right away, but at least she had recognized the girl as the one that had slept through the club recruitment.

“I'm sorry. I'm an idiot when it comes to names.”

“Oh. Okay.”

The elevator stopped on the third floor, so Kurumu and Genzouyaki backed away to allow the trio of gabby girls to enter. The girls paid them no mind, continuing their talk about someone Kurumu did not know while the car descended to the ground level. It opened and the girls exited without ever seeming to notice them.

The girl with the ponytail slipped out while Kurumu helped Moka get back to a steady, upright position. Genzouyaki paused and bowed politely to them.

“I'll see you in class.”

Kurumu waved at the departing girl, forcing a smile. She felt guilty for not trying hard enough to know her classmates while she still had the chance. It was probably too late now to make friends.

Grabbing both of Moka's hands, Kurumu backed out of the elevator. She grinned at the vampire, knowing she was too stupid to be anything else. Kurumu wondered if Tsukune felt the same way.

“Hey, Moka. Do you think you could walk a little on your own? I'm tempted to let you go.”

“Go on.”

“You'll have to get your shoes by yourself. I'm not putting them on for you.”

“They slip on.”

Kurumu giggled as they slowly made their way to the foyer. She stepped down first, Moka staggering down after. Smiling, she snagged the keys out of Moka's loose grip. She shook her head as the pink haired girl promptly sat down on the lip and stretched her legs out.

“I'll get your shoes, but you are still putting them on.”

Kurumu quickly walked over to the small locker that had Moka's room number etched into the faceplate. The same key that opened the door unlocked the compartment. Fetching the shoes, she returned to the wobbling vampire.

Kurumu sighed, getting down on her knees. They really did not have the time for this, so she slipped the shoes onto Moka’s feet, making sure to tug the socks up at the ankles first. She leaned in while standing up, taking Moka by the hand and helping the vampire up.

As other girls passed by them without comment, Kurumu wondered if this was really a good thing for Moka. Moka wanted friends and had seemed distressed over Nazohashi’s reluctance to admit friendship. Things would only get worse once the pool incident spread among the girls.

Kurumu flashed her ID card to open the doors. She pulled Moka out into the warm morning, steadily heading towards the dining hall.

It could not be helped. She had to make sure that Moka got up at a reasonable time and ate a decent breakfast. There was no way Kurumu would allow Moka to suck Tsukune dry. With any luck, they would find a decent club that would allow Moka to form more friendships so Tsukune would not feel so guilty about being more public with their relationship.

After a long and arduous journey, they reached the doors. Kurumu smiled to the rugged haired blond male that held the portal open for them, since that troublesome barrier had proven to be quite the obstacle yesterday. There was quite a lot of activity, though more were leaving than coming.

Kurumu smiled as her core was filled with pleasantness. There were so many admirers for her to pick from. Surely at least one of these boys would be good enough to take this lovely girl off her hands. This boy would have to be kind and gentle and most importantly patient, since Moka was such an innocent soul that a serious relationship simply could not be rushed.

Leading the vampire to the end of the line, Kurumu spied the target of her affection. He was alone, sitting at a small table near the slates of glass that defied the morning light. Freeing a hand, she waved energetically but to no effect. She sighed, moving along as the line quickly progressed to the lovely smells of sustenance.

Kurumu stiffened as her arm was grabbed up tightly. Before she could turn, she felt Moka’s head press against her shoulder. Kurumu took in a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. It felt comforting.

“Hey, keep moving.”

Kurumu smiled, a little surprised the boy behind them had spurred them on. Then again, there was quite a gap between her and the rest of the line. Smiling apologetically, she shuffled over to where the trays were stacked.

In less than a minute, she finally reached the point where she could grab one of the trays. Smirking, she wielded the tray and swatted at the leech on her arm. After a couple groaned protests, Moka relinquished her grip to take the ineffective weapon away.

Giggling, Kurumu picked up her own tray and walked over to where the breakfasts had been set out. After placing a plate on her tray, she realized Moka was still not quite there. Smiling, she tugged Moka over by the arm and put a plate on Moka’s tray before walking over to the register to cash out.

“You’ll need to swipe your ID card, Moka.”

Moka yawned and held out her card. The attendant took the card and swiped it for her, handing it back. Moka dropped the card on her tray and shambled after Kurumu.

Kurumu dropped her tray dramatically in front of Tsukune, finally getting his attention. She could see little remained of his meal.

“Good morning, Kurumu. Moka.”

The vampire yawned as Kurumu glanced at her wrist.

“Can you get us our drinks, Tsukune?”

“Um… sure.”

As Tsukune left, Kurumu turned to help Moka get her tray safely onto the table. She giggled over how heavily the vampire sat down. Smoothing out her skirt, she settled down next to Moka and quickly started to eat.

By the time Tsukune returned, Moka had decided Kurumu was a suitable pillow. Thankfully the vampire was not clinging to her else it would have made eating very difficult. Still it was not very comfortable with Moka’s cheek upon her left shoulder. Kurumu worried if she moved too much, the poor girl would slip and hurt herself.

“You two seem to be getting along well.”

Tsukune placed the drinks next to their trays, Kurumu displeased with the selection. She picked the can up and wagged it while he sat down.

“Tomato juice? Who in their right mind drinks tomato juice for breakfast?”

“I… uh… Moka drinks it at lunch.”

“Yea, and when we ate breakfast together, I drank something citrus.”

“Oh, I didn’t notice.”

Kurumu sighed, supposing it was not that big of a deal as she could not recall what he had been drinking that morning either. She regarded his open can of apple juice while taking down another bite.

“Is she okay?”

“Huh?”

“Moka. I’ve never seen her so tired.”

Kurumu lifted her wrist, noting it was twenty six after. Her motion cost Moka the precarious perch and the vampire fell forward with quite the audible thud against the tabletop. It was quite the stroke of luck that her head missed both tray ends and spared them any catapult action. Kurumu winced, grabbing the groaning girl by the shoulders and helping her upright.

Moka was holding her head as she sat back up. Her eyes fixed on Tsukune and she offered a weak smile with a flinch. She weakly pushed Kurumu’s hands away as she looked about, disorientated.

“Where am I?”

“You need to eat. We have to be out of here in six or so minutes.”

“Good morning, Moka.”

“Good morning, Tsukune.”

Moka smiled. She regarded her meal for a moment and shrugged.

Kurumu resumed eating, though there was not much left to her meal. She grabbed the can of tomato juice and set it next to him. Before he could protest, she took his apple juice and took down a gulp.

“Um… so, Moka. Are you feeling okay?”

Moka paused between bites.

“Just tired. Yesterday really wiped me out.”

“Because of the water?”

“Yea…”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“Keep eating. We can talk on the way to class.”

“Oh, right.”

Kurumu smirked as she took another drink from his juice can. They shared a couple minutes of silence which was enough time for her to finish off her meal and his juice. Tsukune idly opened the can he had brought for her, but after one sip he set it aside without further interest in it.

Kurumu glanced over at Moka’s progress. Just like yesterday, Moka was a notoriously slow eater. Sensing the attention, Moka blushed as she took down another bite.

“Think you’ll survive till lunch?”

“Huh?”

“You can drink your juice on the way.”

“She can have this one too.”

Kurumu regarded the open can. Decisively, she grabbed up the container and downed it heartily. It was not the best of things to accompany a breakfast, but she did not want him offering his drink to Moka. She made a sour face as she set the empty can down.

“Kurumu?”

“Ready to go?”

Moka nodded with a yawn, setting her utensil down. Almost in unison they got up from the table and started for the door. The day was only beginning.

* * *

After Ms. Nekonome’s homeroom and history class, Ms. Sunao took over with the lessons concerning language arts. She was a small woman with a very soft, soothing voice that was difficult to hear clearly from the back of the class. Despite her hair being an ashen gray, she had a very young face. Gold and black needles speared through the buns on the side of her head, holding her fine grained hair in place.

The aftertaste of that tomato juice was still clinging to the back of her tongue. They had cut it so close to the bell that she had not thought of stopping for a quick drink at a fountain. Kurumu planned to escape the moment Ms. Sunao slipped out, doubting she could stand another hour with this wretched taste in her mouth.

Their first break between classes had been squandered by Ms. Nekonome, whom had felt it necessary to have them fill out some paperwork to turn over to Nazohashi before the start of the next hour. It had been a very generic questionnaire about hobbies, plans for the future and what activities they were involved in. Kurumu was mildly curious what sort of answers Tsukune had put down.

Not very interested in the lecture, Kurumu was starting to take notice of her classmates. With Saizou’s desk still vacant, the boy in front of her had short, platinum blond hair. This boy sat beside the vacant desk in front of Tsukune. On his other side was a young man with dark red hair that was swept upwards like a broomstick. Behind this guy was another young man with wavy ebony locks that effectively hid his ears. She mildly wondered how she ended up on the boys’ side of the class when she had not exactly planned it that way at all.

Kurumu did notice that the girl from this morning was also seated in the back row in the chair closest to the back door. The girl was sprawled over her desk, her face cradled in her arms with her ponytail up in the air. She distinctly recalled this girl getting in trouble with Ms. Kagome, whom was their next instructor. She smiled, knowing she could not fault the girl as the temptation to sleep through Ms. Sunao’s class was very enticing.

While she supposed she should know these faces and names by now, the only student she had not spoken to directly that she recognized was the girl that sat next to the broomstick guy. The bouncy auburn hair, upturned nose and slender figure were unmistakable traits belonging to the fox tailed girl that lived on her floor. Naturally her tail was hidden at the moment and her ears were quite normal in that tangled mess of curls that fell past the girls narrow shoulders.

“Ms. Dokiniji. Could you read the next passage for us?”

The good thing about Ms. Sunao is she had yet to call on anyone not seated in the first two rows. The blond seated in front of the broomstick guy stood up. Her long, flowing hair was drawn back at the sides and held together by an orchid clip. Her hair was cleanly cut just below her shoulder blades.

As the girl started to read from her book, Kurumu noticed she was a minority when it came to uniform preference. Only two other girls wore the beige sweater option. One sat in front of the fox girl while the other was directly behind her. While Kurumu did not have a clear view of the girl in front, the mousy haired one in the back clearly would have the same chest issues when it came to the jacket.

Ms. Sunao thanked Dokiniji, allowing the girl to sit before discussing the relevance of the passage. Kurumu tapped her pencil against her barren notebook, doubting any of this material would be covered on the exam this coming Friday.

The assessments troubled her. Apparently the human world required such exams to even qualify for admittance into a high school. As many of the students here came from monster schools with differing curricula, the entrance exam was waived in favor of an assessment which would determine how much additional tutelage certain students would require to function properly in the human world. Kurumu shuddered at the thought that her weekends would be lost to catch up courses.

She glanced over at Tsukune, wondering if he had any such fears about Friday. He looked rather focused on the subject matter, though he was not taking near as many notes as Moka was. She thought it would be a good idea to offer studying with him tomorrow night, since being from a human school he would likely have more of an idea what to expect.

She supposed she could also use Moka or Nazohashi as another resource, but did not think that would be nearly as much fun. She wanted more alone time with Tsukune and to find out more things about him. She wanted to do more couple things like holding hands, going on dates and making silly promises. She wanted to be alone with him, if only to see what he was willing to do with her.

In that regard, she doubted she would ever have Moka’s support. Nazohashi was more pliable. Kurumu had not really noticed it before, but Nazohashi was actually isolated from the other girls in a sense. She had a boy sitting beside and behind her. The closest female was the other girl in the sweater sitting diagonally from the class rep. It was sort of an odd fact, but Nazohashi was the only girl in class that did not have another girl seated directly next to her.

The door in the front of the class slid open and Shirayuki stepped into class. The girl’s arrival caused Ms. Sunao to halt her lecture with a frown at the intrusion. Shirayuki shut the door behind her, her head hung low as she wandered across the front of the room.

“May I help you?”

No doubt the poor teacher was confused, since Shirayuki was not exactly wearing the standard dress nor did she have a schoolbag. The girl had the white end of a sucker out her mouth and was glancing about the room. Spying Kurumu, the girl started down the aisle to promptly take Saizou’s seat.

“Um… miss! Miss, please!”

Shirayuki sat down quickly, her head bowed as Ms. Sunao came to the front row and lifted her small hands indecisively. The teacher glanced about the other students, many equally confused by the abrupt arrival.

“Uh… miss? Are you a student here? I… I think that seat is taken. Miss?”

Judging by the way Shirayuki was huddling in the seat, Kurumu doubted the girl would answer. She sighed, standing up.

“This is Ms. Shirayuki, Teacher.”

Ms. Sunao’s face brightened with relief.

“Oh, yes, yes. Yes, I’ve heard of this girl.”

Kurumu smiled, sitting back down. Several of the students were talking to each other, some of the girls giggling which annoyed Kurumu simply over not knowing what was so funny.

“Still, that seat has already been assigned. Um… Ms. Shirayuki? Could you take the seat in front of Mr. Aono?”

Ms. Sunao had walked down the aisle and gestured to the vacant desk in front of Tsukune. Shirayuki did not budge, despite the prompting.

“Ms. Shirayuki?”

There was no answer. The girls giggled and several boys laughed. Kurumu had to admit it was slightly amusing, considering Ms. Sunao was possibly the mildest teacher in the faculty. The fact that she was easily ten centimeters shorter than Kurumu made the thought of Ms. Sunao disciplining students comical at best.

“Quiet down! Ms. Shirayuki?”

The sound of a seat dragging back drew Kurumu’s attention aside. Burumoto had stood up and was grabbing up his things.

“Mr. Burumoto?”

Flipping his schoolbag over his shoulder, Burumoto regarded the tiny teacher. His smile was feral.

“I’ll swap seats with her.”

“Well, I…”

“It should be no problem. Right?”

There was a bit of a rustle as the boy next to Burumoto started to get to his feet. This boy was slightly taller than Burumoto and every bit as thick. His black hair was shaven along the sides and back, with the hair on the top of his head only slightly longer.

“No, wait. I’ll swap with her.”

“My idea first, Tamaishi.”

Tamaishi glowered at Burumoto. He lifted his fists menacingly.

“Boys, boys, calm down!”

“Scoring points with the Coach? You’re already on the team, Burumoto.”

“This and that are different things.”

“I’ll throw for it.”

“You serious?”

“Stop it!”

Ms. Sunao was wringing her hands as she hurried to the back of the room, though she would likely only get stomped if she tried to get between those two behemoths. Burumoto grinned holding out his right fist. Tamaishi scowled, holding out his massive left.

Pumping their fists thrice, Burumoto finished with his hand flat while Tamaishi kept his fist solid. His scowl deepened. Burumoto chuckled, slapping his palm over the other boy’s fist.

“Too predictable, buddy.”

Tamaishi huffed, snatching his hand away. He sat down heavily, his chair groaning with much protest. With quite a bit of exaggerated swagger, Burumoto brushed past the teacher to take up the seat in front of Tsukune. Ms. Sunao continued to fidget with her hands, moving back to Shirayuki.

“Um… Ms. Shirayuki? Could you please take the vacant seat? Please.”

Shirayuki looked at the seat and back to the top of the desk. With a slight nod, she slipped out of the chair and slinked back to Burumoto’s former seat. She sat down, glancing over at Kurumu and offering a mild smile.

Ms. Sunao sighed dramatically. She walked back to the front of the class and resumed the lesson.

Kurumu resumed her idle pencil tapping. She glanced over at Shirayuki, whom was already looking thoroughly bored with the topic. Tamaishi was twirling a pencil in his massive hand while Genzouyaki was snoozing the morning away. She smiled, deciding to write something down. It was not anything relevant to the class, but she felt it was important. She wrote their names down.

* * *

She could already feel the subtle change as she regarded her gym locker. The girls from home economics and those sharing this part of the locker room were giving her a wide berth. Normally there would have been more fun poked at Sakamori but the girls from the nearby station had been uncharacteristically quiet and reserved, content with murmured remarks amongst themselves.

Naturally sharing her concerns with either of her socially inept partners was futile. It bothered her to no end that she had no sensible outlet for this dilemma. She kept glancing around the lockers while she changed, hoping to catch a glimpse of Moka. While she doubted Moka could help, she did regard Moka as not being an identified outcast like Sakamori.

Despite sharing the lunch hour with Tsukune, Kurumu did not feel any closer to him. She had brought up the idea of a study session and almost immediately he had invited Moka into the equation. The thought that she would have to bring Moka into everything she wanted to do with him grated on her nerves.

Other than a mild mention about her involvement with Shirayuki, which she had quickly dismissed as unimportant, their conversation had focused on what sort of club they should join and what sort of standards were utilized in the determination of the edibility of cafeteria food. It was amazing how quickly the lunch hour had passed while discussing something so randomly trivial.

She sighed, supposing there was nothing wrong with this. If they shared all of their secrets from the start, they would run out of things to say to each other. Though Tsukune was abnormally polite. Even in the conversations where the boys were not outright charmed, Kurumu usually endured a little innuendo. She wondered if it was merely because he was too shy to say the things on his mind.

Kurumu smiled, quite aware that she was in his thoughts. If she had any coin, she would bet it all that his interest was for her tits. She shivered at the thought of letting him explore to his heart's content.

She perked up at the sight of pink.

“Moka! Moka!”

She waved animatedly to catch the vampire's attention. When the girl waved back, Kurumu gestured for Moka to come closer. With a glance off in another direction, Moka timidly approached her.

Kurumu clapped her hands together and bowed her head slightly.

“Please, swap with someone here.”

“What?!”

It was pointless. As Kurumu had been dwelling over it several times today, she realized there was no way Moka would not be tied into the revelation of her being a succubus. Besides, that rumor would also include Moka's identity as a vampire. Few would dare challenge a vampire over her choice of friends.

“Please! I'm sure one of these girls wouldn't mind.”

“I guess I could.”

“She can have mine.”

Kurumu glanced over at the girl two lockers down, not really knowing this familiar brunette. Oddly, none of her classmates were in this particular area despite there being thirty lockers in each aisle. Kurumu imagined the girl was probably from her home economics class.

“Um… okay. I'll go get my things.”

Spinning her dial, the girl quickly unhooked her lock. She started to pull her things out, draping them over her arm.

“Hold on. I'll follow you.”

“Oh, right.”

It did not take the girl long to empty out her locker. She favored Kurumu with a slight smile before walking around her and encouraging Moka to lead the way. Most of the other girls went back to the task of changing, some murmuring to each other with a giggle.

Kurumu shook her head, hoping she was only making more of this than it really was. It was not like anyone had confronted her over yesterday, but she already knew that so rarely happened. She slowly dialed in her numbers, removing her lock.

Her secret admirer was present, pouring his lustful anticipation into her from afar. She wished she was in a better mood to fully enjoy such attention, as it truly was a nice high in this dismally mild day of yearning. She was going to have to start doing something under the table with Tsukune if this was how the rest of her lunch hours would be.

Taking in a deep breath, she pulled her sweater over her head as she arched back. He was such a silly man, getting all worked up over such a simple thing. She slowly started undoing her buttons.

Moka walked around the corner with her things in hand. She smiled as she passed, coming to stand in the line of the admirer's sight. Moka was notably taller than the other girl, so it only made sense.

“I'm glad she let me switch lockers.”

Kurumu smiled, slightly disappointed her show had been canceled. She could still feel the interest, but it was greatly diminished. She removed her blouse, slipping it onto the hanger after removing the gym tee.

“Oh, why's that?”

Moka slipped out of her jacket and was quickly undoing her buttons. Her cheeks were flush as she laughed.

“Well… you see… four girls from yesterday are over there. I was a little worried coming to gym today.”

Supposing that would make anyone anxious, Kurumu laughed as she loosened up her skirt and let it fall to her ankles. She stepped out of the ring of fabric, bending down to retrieve it. Once she came back up, she felt a surge of intense desire roll into her. She closed her eyes as she clenched her fists, loving the sensation.

“Kurumu? Are you okay?”

She smiled, nodding as she tossed her skirt into the locker. She doubted he had that great of a view, so there was no reason to turn her back to him this day. She reached to the center of her bra, cinching it closer together to make quick work of unhooking the many tiny clasps. It felt so much better with them free. She tossed her bra atop her skirt and slightly turned to say something reassuring.

Kurumu almost lost her composure at the rush. She had not meant to. She reflexively covered her left breast as she clutched at her shoulder.

“Kurumu? What's wrong?”

Moka was frowning, also topless. The vampire had such perfectly perky breasts with fat aureoles topped with pink eraser nipples. She was holding her sports bra, clearly about to put it on.

Impulsively, Kurumu sidled up against the vampire, draping her arm about the small of Moka's back. With her being so much shorter than Moka, it was easy to duck her head beneath Moka's arm and press the side of her soft breast against Moka's smaller globe of flesh.

“Kurumu?”

“Just turn a little bit, okay?”

“What?”

Kurumu shivered with delight.

“Towards the back wall.”

“Um… okay. Any reason why?”

Oh, it was so good she could wet herself. She had never given any man a full frontal before, so this was positively exquisite. She simply had to try this out on Tsukune. Surely he would cave in upon seeing the naked glory of all she had to offer.

“Okay… well, I'm going to get dressed now.”

It was the reflexive thigh squirming. Or it was the fact that the side hug made absolutely no sense to Moka. Kurumu blushed, quickly withdrawing from the vampire.

“Sorry.”

Moka looked very flush as she pulled her sports bra overhead. The other girls were murmuring and regarding them with amusement. Likely they were misreading this in the same way Moka was.

Relaxing her hands, Kurumu took a deep breath and smiled. She stuck her tongue out at a couple of the girls, thinking they were all being stupid about this. Sure, the squirming may have been odd, but it was not like she had held Moka for more than a minute.

“I'm just fooling around, okay?”

Kurumu huffed as Moka drew her tee over her head. Not wanting to divulge the truth of the matter, Kurumu dressed herself.

“Sheesh, Moka. You don't have to take everything so seriously.”

“I… I'm sorry, Kurumu.”

Kurumu sighed, straightening her tee before reaching for her gym shorts. Now she was going to feel bad about flashing Moka's tits to some strange guy. So much for taking better care of her. That demon inside Moka would probably kill her if she told the truth now. In her defense, it was not like she had given the man anything but a fond memory for the nights to come.

“Hey, it's okay. I was being silly.”

“Yea.”

“Yea.”

There was an uncomfortable pause as they finished dressing. After shutting their lockers and securing them, they regarded each other. Moka favored her with a sheepish smile and Kurumu grinned.

“Besides, I had to clarify something.”

“What?”

“Mine are so much bigger than yours.”

As Moka gagged with disbelief, Kurumu laughed. Turning about and thrusting her chest out, she stalked out of the room, triumphant.

* * *

It was near the end of the day and she was no closer to figuring out what sort of club they should join. As a group, they had decided to wander campus for a couple hours after the final bell, dropping in and seeing if any club was worth consideration. The only suggestion Kurumu had was checking out the drama club Ms. Hitori sponsored, though she had forgotten to ask the teacher where the club met. She assumed it would be near the stage.

Kurumu stifled a yawn, slumping her cheek onto her palm. She regarded Ms. Nekonome while the teacher rambled on about literary icons humanizing monsters as a sign that the human world was willing to accept coexistence. She supposed it was a nice thought, though most authors probably possessed a tenuous hold on reality, preferring imaginary worlds over the mundane. If those authors found out how monotonous daily life was for monsters, they would quickly lose interest.

Ms. Nekonome perked up.

“Oh, the time! Ms. Nazohashi. Could you bring me the papers you collected earlier today?”

Nazohashi stood up abruptly. The girl stiffly walked over to the teacher, handing over a stack of papers.

“I also had Ms. Shirayuki fill one out during lunch.”

“Oh, yes!”

Ms. Nekonome smiled brightly, waving to the back row.

“I heard our sleeping beauty joined us today.”

Shirayuki sunk lower in her seat, though few actually looked to her.

The teacher smiled as she skimmed through the papers. It was hard to say if she was reading them or not, as her eyes always seemed to be closed. More than half of the papers she set aside on the podium, leaving a few in hand.

“Ah, here it is. Hrrrmmm.”

Ms. Nekonome scratched the back of her head.

“I don't believe there is a cooking club, Ms. Shirayuki.”

Several girls giggled while Kurumu groaned. She imagined Shirayuki had simply filled in the line about which club she would join to avoid leaving it blank like Kurumu had.

“Quiet down. It is her first day, so it's no big deal.”

Ms. Nekonome smiled brightly as she set aside the paper among the majority.

“If you want, you may go home now. As for everyone else, if I call your name, I would like you to stay in class after the bell rings.”

The boys that seemed to groan at everything were the two seated in front of Burumoto and the platinum blond guy. They were both dark haired, heavyset guys, though the one in front of Burumoto was exceptionally disgusting. He was always rubbing mucus onto the side of his jacket, smearing up the sleeves with white streaks of filth.

“Akashiya Moka. Aono Tsukune. Chousei Akiko. Hedoyami Kouji.”

The ugly one groaned heavier.

“Kurono Kurumu. Natsudera Sayuri. Tomisaki Saichiro and Nazohashi Tora.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“Me?”

“Yes, if it is no trouble.”

“Uh, no!”

Clearly troubled, the class representative returned to her seat.

“I know the bell has a couple more minutes but I don't see the point in continuing. Take note of the assignment on the board. Even though we have assessments, you still have homework to turn in on Friday.”

Ms. Nekonome grinned brightly, turning to Nazohashi.

“If you would, please, Ms. Nazohashi.”

Nodding, Nazohashi stood back up. Kurumu recognized this was the dismissal, so she quickly got to her feet as Nazohashi started barking out the orders. She had some idea what she was being asked to stay after class for, since such a fuss had been made about Shirayuki listing cooking club. She wondered if Ms. Nekonome planned to help them find a club.

Seeing no point to touch her things, Kurumu settled with stretching her arms over her head. She watched with mild interest as most of the students gathered up their things and headed for the doors. She noted Genzouyaki was rubbing her eyes, slightly bewildered with the early dismissal.

“Thanks.”

Kurumu glanced up at Shirayuki and smiled.

“I didn't do anything. You should thank Burumoto.”

“I did.”

“Okay then.”

Shirayuki paused, glancing about the class.

“I'm going now.”

Kurumu waved at the girl as she walked off, thinking the whole exchange was fairly odd till it dawned on her. That was the first time Shirayuki had ever initiated a conversation with her. She winced over being so insensitive that she had not even realized it until after the girl had left. Pouting, she slumped deeper in her chair.

The bell finally rang almost a minute after the last student departed. As Hedoyami was clearly identified as that hulking brute sitting in front of Tsukune, that meant Saichiro had to be the roguish redhead boy with the long sideburns whom was lingering by Nazohashi. The boy had decided his chair was a footrest and his desk a chair as he shared words with the girls around him. Even Nazohashi was mildly engaged in the conversation.

As to the other girls, it was hard to say which was which, though one was wearing the sweater uniform. The sweater girl had dark blue hair that was pulled back on all sides into a ponytail that was folded in half by the band that held it together. Her bangs swept out and curled forward, falling perfectly against her narrow eyebrows. She talked rather animatedly with Saichiro and the other girl, shrugging and giggling over something.

The other girl also had bangs that swept out, only hers went off to the side. It mildly resembled the antennae of an insect. Her blondish green hair was braided down in the back on each side of the center of her neck, the tight tail ends touching just below the collar of her jacket. Even at a distance, her eyes were a notable shade of pink much darker than Moka's hair.

Ms. Nekonome clapped her hands together.

“Right, right. I suppose you are all wondering what I've held you longer for and the reason is your choice of club activities. While I'm sure everyone was entertained with my get to know you worksheet, my real motive was to discover which of my students I could recruit to my club.”

Nazohashi threw her hand up while Hedoyami groaned.

“Yes?”

“Teacher. I'm the class representative.”

“Yes, yes you are.”

“So… why am I here?”

Ms. Nekonome laughed, drumming her hands on the podium.

“Oh, silly. Student council and class representatives aren't clubs. That is student government, which is hardly mandatory. Our school requires you to be involved in a club activity.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“Anyways, I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to join the Newspaper Club which I am the adviser for.”

The redhead hopped off his desk onto his feet.

“I'm sorry, Teacher, but I'm going to have to pass on that.”

“Mr. Tomisaki?”

The boy held his hands up and bowed his head slightly.

“Newspaper is really not my thing.”

“But you haven't even heard what we would be doing?”

“I think everyone here kind of knows what making a newspaper would require, and that's a lot more work than I'm interested in doing.”

The teacher pouted, setting a sheet of paper aside into the larger stack.

“Well… you only have to the end of the week to register with a club.”

With a grin, the redhead pointed at Ms. Nekonome.

“I promise you, I will have registered for something by then. Later guys.”

Favoring them with a two fingered salute, Tomisaki slipped out the front door. Ms. Nekonome frowned, turning to regard the rest of the class.

“I would strongly encourage the rest of you to wait until the club president arrives. I asked him to speak with the group directly, since he sort of missed setting up a booth during the club fair.”

Kurumu raised a brow, wondering what sort of club this was if they were not even organized enough to set up a booth at the fair. She looked over to Tsukune and Moka, offering an open handed shrug.

This time the sweater girl stood up.

“Teacher. I think I will also decline your offer.”

Ms. Nekonome was clearly distressed.

“Ms. Natsudera, please give him at least five minutes. I'm sure once you hear him speak, you will be interested in staying with the club.”

“I doubt that.”

Kurumu was starting to feel stupid hanging out in the back of the class like they were. Grabbing up her things, she gestured for Moka and Tsukune to join her. She purposely walked down the aisle that avoided contact with Hedoyami, as he truly disgusted her.

“Wait, you guys.”

Realizing this was directed at her, Kurumu smiled as she walked to the front. She calmly set her things down on the desk Tomisaki had vacated.

“We're just changing up seats so you don't have to talk across the class. Right?”

Kurumu was relieved that Moka and Tsukune had followed. She smiled at Tsukune while he took up the seat next to her. She was a little surprised that Moka took the seat beside him, but it did put the vampire further away from the hygienically challenged Hedoyami.

“So you will be joining?”

Kurumu shrugged, sitting down in the desk. She had no real desire to be in the newspaper club, but she did not see the harm in hearing the club leader give his sales pitch.

Scratching her ear, Ms. Nekonome returned her attention to the standing girl.

“Anyways… you were saying?”

Natsudera took in a deep breath.

“I just don't want to be part of this club.”

Kurumu sighed, wondering if this had anything to do with her. She lazily leaned back in her chair, hooking her ankle about the desk support. She smirked at the girl, noting the wavering uncertainty in those hazel eyes.

“Why not?”

The girl glanced away and shrugged.

“Oh, come on. It might be fun. What do you think, Tsukune?”

“Eh… me? I think it might work. It sounds normal enough. Moka?”

“It sounds like a great idea!”

Smirking, Kurumu rolled her head aside to regard Nazohashi and the other girl.

“What about you, Nazohashi?”

“I suppose if it isn't too much work. How large is this club?”

Ms. Nekonome laughed.

“Well… you see… this would be it.”

“What?”

“The club president is the only returning member of this club.”

Kurumu frowned, wondering if this was a good idea after all. The whole point of joining a club was to expand Moka's friend base. If that friend base offered only a club president and Hedoyami as potential male suitors, she would have to regretfully decline.

At least it made some sense as to why there had been no booth at the fair. With only one guy running the show, it would be difficult getting anything done. She sort of felt sorry for the guy, wondering what happened.

“Why is there only one member?”

“Many of them graduated last year, and a lot of the others left for different club activities.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“It sounds like a lot of work.”

“That's my cue to quit.”

The chair scooted as Hedoyami struggled to his feet.

“Mr. Hedoyami, please.”

“I'm sorry, Teacher, but I was only sticking around for the girls.”

Kurumu shuddered at the thought and could tell none of the others were thrilled by his confession.

“If she’s quitting and you have no other members, this will be too much work for me. I'll find a club, don't you worry. See you tomorrow.”

It was almost like a breath of fresh air once the large man waddled out the back door. Kurumu certainly felt better, though she still was concerned about the size of this club. She supposed she should reserve judgment till after she saw the president.

“Oh dear. Please, won’t you reconsider, Ms. Natsudera? The club will surely be disbanded this year without any new members.”

Natsudera sighed.

“Netsuki told me to avoid this club, Teacher.”

“Ms. Hiboshi?”

As the girl nodded, Ms. Nekonome laughed, waving her hand dismissively.

“Oh, that silly girl. What happened last year is over with.”

Natsudera bowed deeply.

“I decline. I'm sorry.”

Grabbing her schoolbag, the girl quickly departed.

“Wait, Sayuri!”

The other girl grabbed her bag and got to her feet. She bowed politely to the teacher before chasing after Natsudera.

Kurumu was confused over this whole nonsense. She had no idea about this Hiboshi, though the name sounded familiar. Still it was nice to know that this had nothing to do with her being a succubus.

Ms. Nekonome sighed, touching her forehead. Frowning, she added more papers to the majority while Nazohashi timidly stood up.

“Teacher, what happened last year?”

“Nothing to concern yourselves with.”

Already poised for the look, Kurumu lolled her head back to watch a dark haired boy sweep into the room with supreme confidence. He had smoky gray eyes and his charcoal black hair was pushed back with a white headband. His shirt was unbuttoned down to the point where his jacket came together, baring a black cord that likely connected to a pendent hidden from view.

“Ah, yes, here is your club president.”

The president wandered up the aisle, stopping next to Moka's desk. He smiled broadly as he gestured to the teacher.

“You did not tell me you were recruiting so many lovely ladies.”

Kurumu glanced away before his eyes fully met hers. She settled back into her seat before promptly getting out of it. She quickly noted this guy was taller than Tsukune, though probably a few shy of Burumoto. He looked strong enough and had a feral scent about him.

He laughed, a pleasant sound brimming with audacity. She felt a lovely rush of interest as his hand tousled her hair, securing her opinion of him as a shameless flirt. Still, he was not a complete loss. He was easy on the eyes and maybe a good girl like Moka could end his playboy ways.

Kurumu hopped back a step. Impulsively she grabbed up Tsukune by his head and planted his face into her chest. She shuddered at the mixture of desire that assaulted her from both directions but found the will to speak.

“Tsukune, I don't like flirtatious guys.”

“Mrrmpfh!”

“Kurumu!”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at Moka while the president laughed heartily.

“My apologies. I should properly introduce myself first. I am Morioka Ginei, a second year.”

Kurumu relinquished her hold, hearing Tsukune gasp as she offered her small hand to the young president.

“Kurono Kurumu. I am Aono Tsukune's girlfriend.”

Moka shot upright, slamming her fists on her desk.

“That's not true! Tsukune is… I…”

Kurumu smirked as Moka became too flustered to speak.

“Hmmm?”

Morioka rubbed the back of his head, regarding Tsukune.

“So, you are Aono?”

Tsukune nodded, quickly getting to his feet and bowing respectfully.

“Yes, President. I believe we are joining your club.”

Morioka waved off the formality turning to the vampire.

“And you are?”

“Akashiya Moka.”

“Ah, yes, I've heard rumors about you. Something about wiping out the swimming club yesterday. Impressive.”

There was a collective gasp. Morioka merely smirked.

“What? This is the newspaper club. We have to keep up with the news if we dare to call ourselves reporters.”

“Ginei. We do have one other girl here that may be interested in joining the club.”

Nazohashi flushed a dark red as she carefully studied her shoes. In one of her clenched fists was her schoolbag.

“I did not say that. I… I… well… I don't have anything else thought of yet. That's all.”

Morioka nodded, thumbing towards the back of the classroom.

“I noticed a couple girls leaving. Are you saying untrue things about me?”

Ms. Nekonome giggled, waving her hand dismissively.

“To the contrary. I was hoping to keep them here long enough so they could hear your passionate speech about the pursuits of truth and justice.”

Morioka laughed.

“Then what did you let them leave for? There’s always room in the club for a lovely lady.”

The teacher pouted, gathering up her papers. She slipped the stack into a portfolio she carried with her to class.

“Ms. Hiboshi is in my class so it can’t be helped.”

Morioka frowned.

“And Ms. Hiboshi is…?”

“A cousin.”

Morioka's face brightened with understanding. Cupping his chin, he grinned as he regarded them.

“Ah, I see. Well, this certainly isn't the work for the faint of heart. Poor things would have only gotten hurt if we had allowed them to join. But I'm sure those that have remained have the strength, guts and determination to find the truth even if it may come at the cost of your lives.”

Kurumu could tell he was completely full of it, though Tsukune and Nazohashi clearly were concerned.

“Well, anyways, I'm probably late for the staff meeting so I will leave you all in the care of your senior. See you in class tomorrow.”

Nazohashi quickly moved to prevent the escape of their teacher.

“Wait. I don't know about this.”

Ms. Nekonome smiled, tucking the portfolio under her arm. She grabbed Nazohashi by the shoulder and turned the girl to face Morioka.

“Ginei. This is our class representative, Nazohashi Tora. She's a good student that likes to work real hard. Take good care of her.”

“But, Teacher.”

With a mild wave, Ms. Nekonome slipped behind Nazohashi and out the door. Nazohashi spun about, regarding the door for a moment. She slowly turned back around, still finding her feet more interesting than regarding them.

“Okay, now that the adviser is gone, we can proceed to more serious matters.”

Kurumu perked up at the seriousness of his tone.

“First we need to talk about role assignments. As this club's president, I handle all the equipment. This includes our cameras. You are more than welcome to use your own personal equipment, but most likely I will be the one providing pictures for all of our articles.”

Tsukune stiffened.

“What?! How does that work?”

“Simple. You tell me what you want and I will take a picture of it. Who here knows how to use a computer?”

Kurumu felt rather stupid as both Tsukune and Moka raised their hands. Even Nazohashi timidly lifted a couple fingers. Unwilling to look like the only idiot here, Kurumu raised her hand which caused Morioka to grin broadly.

“That’s perfect! I have no clue how to use the damn things so I’ll leave all the digital work to you guys. I’m sure one of you can figure out how to make a layout and organize everything.”

Tsukune gagged.

“Everything?! What will you be doing?”

“Taking pictures. Hey, that's a pretty big job. Also, I'm the only one with access to the printers, so I'll be taking your finished product and printing it out.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“So… we write all the articles?”

“Yes. We aim to release a paper every two weeks, but given how you all are new to this, we may want to wait another week or so till you figure out how this whole thing works.”

Tsukune trembled with outrage.

“Two weeks?! What sort of paper do you think we could turn out in two weeks?!”

“Hey, take it easy. I know it's a lot of work, but you have to have some fun while you are doing it.”

Kurumu snorted.

“Yea, but what work will you be doing? It can’t be that hard taking pictures that we tell you to take.”

Morioka grinned.

“Research, of course. For instance, what do you guys know about the three girls that have disappeared since the start of the year?”

Kurumu frowned, vaguely recalling Ms. Hitori to have said something about this in regards to Saizou.

“What about it?”

“That's what we should be finding out. There are three lovely ladies out there, missing. I'll bring you pictures of the victims tomorrow to see if you may know any of them.”

Nazohashi squirmed.

“Is that really something a club should be getting involved in? Why not write articles about the current trends in pop culture? We could do faculty interviews so the students can identify with their teachers better. This is a school newspaper, so shouldn’t we be covering normal things like important school events and club activities?”

Morioka threw his hands up with a wide smile.

“See, this girl has some direction. But while all that stuff is good for the back pages, you can't sell papers without having something interesting to catch their eye.”

“Sell papers?”

“Yes. This stuff doesn't print itself for free. We have to sell a good story to our readers, so it is imperative that we have a gripping cover story to draw them in.”

Nazohashi laughed.

“You're nuts.”

“That's why we need to be on top of a big story like missing girls and other diabolical schemes transpiring within these hallowed halls.”

Moka held her fists up, her expression determined.

“I'm in! I want to help those girls!”

Kurumu already knew there was no backing out now.

“We're all in. We will get you that story.”

“Excellent. Then I shall leave it to you.”

Morioka favored them with a thumb up and a toothy grin before turning about and walking off to the back door.

“I'll see you here tomorrow and I'll be sure to bring those posters.”

“Posters?”

Morioka paused at the door, grinning back at them.

“Of course, posters. You can’t find a missing person without posters telling people where to go with their information. We will hang them around the school in all of the spots with heavy traffic.”

With a slight wave, their fearless leader disappeared into the hallway.

Kurumu smiled glancing to Tsukune. His smile made it clear he was interested and Moka clearly was fired up. Kurumu laughed, moving closer to Tsukune.

“I don't know about his cover story, but what about some of the other articles we should be doing? Maybe the hottest trends in fashion?”

“Wait, Nazohashi!”

Moka was quickly moving towards the back door to intercept the class representative. The girl paused, realizing Moka would reach the door first. She turned slightly but Kurumu had started down the aisle on the other side to prevent an easy escape to the front door.

“What is it, Nazohashi?”

Nazohashi shrugged.

“What do you mean?”

Moka gestured to them as Tsukune came up behind Kurumu.

“Did you want to walk home with us?”

The raven haired girl shrugged again.

“I often go home later than the other students. It's no big deal. I just convince one of our teachers to walk with me to the dorms.”

“Oh.”

“Can I go now?”

“Wait.”

Moka held her hands out wide, preventing Nazohashi from slipping around her. Moka’s concerned expression was endearing.

“Are you going to join the club with us?”

“I… I can't.”

“Why not?”

“I've already had enough trouble with you two.”

Kurumu bristled at the remark.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, please! I know you were messing with Saizou and that's why he attacked us. That was your fault!”

Kurumu flinched, but had nothing to say back. Still, she wanted to wring that scrawny little neck for saying such things in front of Tsukune.

“Tora, please.”

Nazohashi faltered at Moka's earnest request.

“I… I'll help if it's something safe. With the layout or something.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Oh, I'm sure being class representative would give you some early access to information like school events and some of those things you were talking about.”

Nazohashi nodded.

“Probably.”

“Then join us, Tora.”

Nazohashi took a deep breath and sighed.

“Fine, but only because I have to join a club.”

Kurumu covered her smile. She still did not regard Nazohashi as a friend, but at least the girl being in the club would cut down on the workload.


	11. Gathering Information

Kurumu wondered if anyone could actually explain to her why English was part of their curriculum. Her junior high had not bothered to require a foreign language she was not likely to ever use. Sure, it had been offered as an elective, but she had a hard enough time with Japanese. Short of understanding some lyrics, there was little reason to figure out English.

It did not help matters that Mr. Nagamushi was an incomprehensible zealot that ended most of his sentences with some foreign exclamation when he was speaking in the native tongue. Most of the time he carried on in that babbling language with only the vigor in his voice preventing her eyes from glossing over.

She envied Genzouyaki. While Moka certainly was not a morning person, normally the vampire was wide awake by the start of class. Genzouyaki possessed the unique ability of sleeping through a head injury caused by flying projectiles. Kurumu would have thought the girl dead if Tamaishi had not reassured the class otherwise.

When they had walked Nazohashi home last night, Kurumu had finally realized how small a world she had come from. There had been so many signs that she had simply taken in without much thought. Hearing that their class consisted of two hundred seventy seven students, a number likely greater than the entire population of her junior high, had Kurumu feeling inadequate. She felt only worse when the other three acted as if this was a smaller school than they were used to.

As the discussion had mostly been about school, Moka had brought up the study session tonight and asked if Nazohashi would participate. The girl has been reluctant to outright accept the invitation, expressing her overall lack of need of studying for such an assessment. She reasoned with her doubts over this being any more difficult than the entrance exams she had taken for other high schools in case her mother had changed her mind about attending Yokai.

Kurumu still felt annoyed with the familiarity Nazohashi and Moka shared. They had both found another common point last night when bragging about their intellectual achievements. Both claimed to have been in their class's top ten percent for the entirety of their junior high careers. It bothered Kurumu since she doubted she could make the top twenty percent if she tried.

Kurumu had thought with Moka's attention elsewhere she could have shared some arm in arm action with Tsukune, but the vampire had put a stop to that immediately. The resulting scuffle had prompted Nazohashi to question the relationships, which had also frustrated Kurumu since Tsukune had quickly denied being her boyfriend for Moka's sake. Kurumu guessed it had been the palpable tension that had driven Nazohashi to decline the offer of joining them for dinner.

Kurumu sighed, regarding the back of Tsukune's head. Beyond the denial, Tsukune had not said anything notable to Nazohashi, which had her wondering if he had only talked to the twin out of some sense of obligation. He certainly had no reservations talking with Moka. She sighed again.

She supposed it was nice to know that he was not some genius, what with him admitting that he did not score high enough for either of the schools he had wanted to attend. Something about not testing well and spending too much of his free time goofing off with his friends instead of studying. That was the sort of reasons she would have, if she had junior high friends.

Kurumu doubted she would ever get any closer to Tsukune, if these past two meals together were any indication of what the future held. His evasive and simplistic responses to anything she tried to bring up vaguely reminded her of Shirayuki. Put those two in a room together and she wondered which would be bothered first by the uncomfortable silence.

Shirayuki had actually been in the classroom before her. While the girl still lacked a schoolbag, she had brought a pen and notebook and had spent most of her time taking notes. Or she was doodling. The girl rarely looked up at the teacher or the board, so it certainly was possible with the way she held her notebook up off the desk and turned away from sight.

Kurumu perked up at the sound of Tsukune's name. Tsukune stood up.

“Which part is it, Teacher?”

Mr. Nagamushi barked out some more gibberish, the only word making sense being English. As Tsukune started stumbling over the phrase from their workbook, Kurumu counted her blessings that she had yet to be called upon in this class. She had no idea what page they were on.

“Excellent, Mr. Aono-”

There was more to his sentence, but it made no sense to her. She sighed again, glancing over her workbook. With all the instructions in Japanese, she had some idea of what she was supposed to be doing. A lot of it would simply be memorizing vocabulary and figuring out this weird sentence structure. She cared little about the whole phonetic section. It was not like she had ever heard of any tests being verbal.

With a glance at her wrist, she noted there was only a few minutes left till the lunch hour. She was not in the mood of walking all the way to the cafeteria only to come back up here. She wondered if Tsukune would mind taking her ID card and buying her lunch for her. She wondered what sort of food he would pick out for her if she left it up to him.

Of course, she had no intention of letting Moka go with him. There was something wrong with the vampire today. Every now and then, Moka would get this dazed look in her eyes when staring at Tsukune. While it might be asking much to have him bring both of them lunch, it would guarantee he would bring smaller portions.

Paying some attention this day, she had picked up on some more names. The redhead with the broomstick hair was Yougan and the blond guy next to him was Ikazuchi. The two had been a little too rowdy during Ms. Sunao's class and had been summarily scolded.

The only other name she had picked up was Ms. Tobuyoku. This was the girl seated at the front of her aisle that had glossy black hair, like the panes from the Kurai dining hall. While her ears were hidden by her lush hair, the back had been French braided but was still so long that it hung down to the middle of her back where a golden ring had been affixed. For some reason, this had Kurumu thinking of a knocker on a door.

Her mind wandered over to some of the things mentioned yesterday. They had not talked at all about the newspaper club mostly because Nazohashi had not wanted to, and then it had completely slipped her mind this morning. But since arriving in class, she kept wondering which one of these girls was the Hiboshi that had scared Natsudera from joining the club. There were only four of them that she had no name for.

The first was the girl Tobuyoku would talk to between classes that was seated in front of Hedoyami. With the name being familiar when she had first heard it, she reasoned there was a good chance the brunette was her culprit with her being in the front row. However, she was also next to the window and isolated from the other girls, so Kurumu had her doubts.

The other three were all by each other, starting with the fox girl behind Natsudera. Behind the fox was the mousy haired girl in the sweater. Beside the mousy girl and in front of Genzouyaki was the last girl. The only things notable about this girl was that she was taller than some of the boys and had silvery white hair that was boyishly cut short, yet with two tufted tails at the back of her head.

The bell rang. Their teacher continued to babble in that silly language of his, which probably was telling them to work on an assignment. Kurumu really wished he would simply write this on the board. Even if she had no idea what he was saying, or what he would write, at least she would have time to figure out what he meant.

Kurumu stretched her arms overhead as the classroom started to empty. She saw Moka stand up, so she quickly waved her hand at the girl, drawing a frown.

“What?”

“Stay put.”

“But lunch.”

“Hey, Tsukune!”

Tsukune had already been looking her way so it was an accident. His eyes glazed over as his mouth went slack.

Kurumu smiled as she reached over to pull her ID card out of the stitched sleeve on the side of her schoolbag. She held it up to him as she planted her harmless command.

“Could you get our lunches for us?”

“Yes.”

She smiled, breaking off eye contact as she got up so he would not have reach too far for her card. Handing off her card, she gestured to Moka.

“You can give him your card too.”

“But I would rather wait in line with Tsukune.”

“It's just silly for all of us to go all the way to the cafeteria simply to come all the way back. There's barely any time left over to eat.”

“Yea, but, even if you send Tsukune that won't change how much time it will take.”

Kurumu frowned, realizing that was very true. She shrugged.

“Fine, if that's what you want. I'll stay here by myself and arrange the desks while my boyfriend brings me lunch.”

“He's not your boyfriend!”

Kurumu smiled as she looked to Tsukune's shoulder. She did not want to accidentally put any other commands into his head.

“If you two are going to go, you best hurry before the line gets too long.”

Tsukune took a step away.

“Wait, Tsukune!”

Kurumu turned slightly, hiding her grin as Moka handed the young man a card. As Tsukune stiffly departed, Kurumu grabbed her desk and scooted backwards across the aisle. She slipped out from between before pressing the two surfaces together.

“Tsukune seemed distant.”

Kurumu shrugged as she moved his chair aside. Gripping the edge of his desk, she turned it around and scooted it up against the other two. Feeling she had it too much against Moka's desk, she scooted it aside till her desk had a larger yet subtle plane of contact.

“Did I… make him upset?”

Kurumu sighed as she pushed his chair about where it should be. She contemplated telling the truth about her accidental charm, but decided it would only cause more problems.

“He took your card, right?”

“Yea.”

“Then there's no problem. Sit down. We can talk while he's gone.”

Kurumu walked about the desks to retrieve her chair, dragging it over and sitting down next to the vampire. She really had not thought much about what she should do to kill the time while waiting to find out what Tsukune felt she would eat. She had not realized it, but the rest of their classmates had already departed.

Moka had her elbows up on the edge of her desk, tapping her fingers together as she glanced out the window. The vampire turned to her and smiled softly. She shrugged.

“So, what do you want to talk about?”

Kurumu honestly had no idea.

“What do you think of our club leader?”

“Huh?”

It was as good a topic as any, especially if Morioka could separate Moka from Tsukune.

“Morioka. Do you think he's a good guy?”

Moka frowned.

“Well… he seems very enthusiastic about the club.”

Kurumu mulled that remark over for a second before deciding what she could say that would not betray any negative feelings for the guy. While she agreed that Morioka felt genuine about running the club, she suspected he was either very lazy or very ignorant over how to do it. She could not dismiss the possibility that it was both.

“I'll admit that I was a bit worried with him being the only member. I was tempted to walk out.”

“But we couldn't do that. What about all those missing girls?”

“I think the faculty is already attempting to look into that. Ms. Hitori mentioned a couple missing girls when she spoke to me about Saizou.”

“But we can certainly help. I find it admirable that our senior cares so much that he thinks we can make a difference.”

“We could help out without being in the newspaper club, if that is all you really want to do.”

Moka bowed her head.

“Yes, I suppose that's true.”

She smiled brightly.

“But… we need a club and he needs members. I couldn't walk out on him knowing the club would be disbanded because of me.”

Kurumu softly sighed so as not to be obvious.

“It will probably be a lot of work, but I know what you mean. Leaving would not feel right, now that he depends on us.”

The short silence that followed suggested the subject had been closed. Trying to pry further about Moka's feelings on Morioka would be too direct. Moka Morioka? For some reason that felt more like a bad joke than a possibility. Then again, with Moka being a vampire, it was more likely he would be forced to surrender his last name. What was his name again?

“Um… Kurumu.”

“Huh?”

“Would you please stop telling everyone that your Tsukune's girlfriend.”

Kurumu frowned at the bluntness of the statement. It hardly came across as a question or a request. Snorting, she turned her head away from the vampire.

“Why should I lie about my relationship with him?”

“But it's not true. And every time you do it, you put Tsukune in an awkward position.”

Since they were being direct, Kurumu regarded the vampire with a scowl.

“What makes you think I'm lying? Have you not once considered that you are the reason why he is in an awkward position?”

“I'm the reason?”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, waving a hand dismissively.

“Moka, I'm a succubus. I know when a man wants me and I can assure you, Tsukune wants me.”

“But that's not true.”

“Dammit, Moka, it is true! I can sense a man lusting after me from a hundred meters. Probably more.”

“But… I…”

“What?”

Kurumu held up her hands as she threw out her trump card.

“Are you wanting to have sex with him?”

The quick flush of Moka's cheeks betrayed her innocence. The vampire cupped her mouth, looking away.

“No.”

While it was a strong victory for her, Kurumu still felt dirty for it.

“Look, I understand. You want to be his friend. And I want to be your friend too. Hell, part of the reason why I was reluctant to join the newspaper club was because I thought we were joining a club where you could make a lot of friends.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I suppose Morioka and Nazohashi will do, but I had a lot higher hopes than that.”

Like finding you a boyfriend.

“Thanks, Kurumu.”

The vampire smiled. She glanced aside.

“But I still don't feel comfortable with you calling yourself his girlfriend.”

Kurumu shook her head, not willing to go back into that.

“We need to talk about something else.”

“Yea.”

“Hey, we should find out what junior high Tsukune went to.”

“That would be fun.”

“You said you were under the custody of a priest, right? Didn't you attend a private junior high?”

Moka waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, no, not at all. I went to a public school.”

“I was wondering since you said this school had a smaller class size.”

“I lived in Sakura of the Chiba prefecture.”

Kurumu grinned.

“Chiba is right by Tokyo, right?”

“Yes.”

“Ah, so you are a city girl.”

Moka laughed.

“I suppose you could say that, though I spent most of my time either at school or at the church.”

The vampire smiled.

“What about you, Kurumu? Where are you from?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“My mother and I moved out into the spiritual realm when I was in the fourth grade.”

“The spiritual realm?”

“You are aware that this school isn't the only sanctuary from the human world? There are several monster cities tucked away within their world that they know nothing about.”

“I always thought they had to coexist like I did.”

Kurumu frowned.

“But you knew your younger sister never attended the same school as you. Surely you must have recognized that monster schools existed.”

“Yes, I know, but I figured she was attending some private school for monsters that I could not attend due to my seal. You cannot imagine how happy I was to hear that I would finally be able to attend a school with people like me.”

“So… what do you mean by coexist?”

“Well, I never thought about it. I guess.”

“You're making no sense.”

“Hold on, I'm trying to think about it. It's just… it never really crossed my mind that there would be a whole city of monsters. I did not expect Yokai Academy to be hidden behind some magical barrier. I always thought it would be some normal school in the human world that was carefully protected from human interference.”

Kurumu nodded, figuring that did make sense. When her mother had abruptly removed her from school to hide her from the humans, she had held no comprehension of the spiritual realm either. Back then she only knew that her mother was very different from other humans and that she was not supposed to say a word about it to anyone.

“Kurumu. What was that place called?”

“What place?”

“The place where you used to live. The spiritual realm place.”

“Oh, yea. We called it Kengamine. Are you familiar with Daisen in the Tottori prefecture?”

“The earthquake?”

“Earthquake?”

“I think it was four or so years ago when a fairly big quake hit that area.”

Kurumu frowned, cupping her chin in thought.

“Is Hino still intact?”

“Hino?”

“It's the small city I lived in before we left. I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that.”

Moka paused, mulling something over.

“I don't recall there being much said about it. It was nothing like the Chuetsu quakes last year.”

Kurumu shrugged at the remark, having no knowledge of either event. She supposed it was silly to worry over some town she barely remembered and doubted anyone there would remember her. She smiled.

“You know what we need to do?”

“Huh?”

“We need to find out if there is a nearby monster city.”

Moka looked mildly concerned.

“Why?”

“To hang out on a weekend. You can't tell me that going on a picnic, a trip to church and the occasional study session is all you want to do with your friends in your free time.”

“Of course it isn't!”

“Then it's settled. We will take Tsukune out this weekend.”

Moka frowned.

“But where? We're not allowed to leave the school grounds.”

Kurumu shrugged. While she did not have any immediate answer, she did have some ideas as to where to look for information about leaving the school grounds. Surely a second year would know something.

* * *

There had to be some rule against being drunk in class. Most of the reason why the after school parties had been such a popular activity was due to the school policy prohibiting students from the consumption of alcohol. Kurumu had only been drunk once last year, which had been more than enough. If Takada had not been watching out for her, she might have lost something precious that night.

While she suspected Sakamori had less to worry about in regards to being taken advantage of while in this state, Kurumu still felt the girl should be a little more careful. Some of the guys here would probably settle for any girl if the answer was not clearly no. For some reason, the notion that Sakamori could lose her virginity first, assuming it was not already gone, greatly bothered Kurumu.

Apparently students could not use another student's card to get lunch. The thought had not even crossed her mind, having no experience with prepaid lunch cards. If he had possessed the money, Kurumu doubted he would have even told them about the incident that had forced him into bringing a single meal for them to split.

Kurumu finally discovered why the vampire had been acting odd, when Moka offered to abstain from the meal in exchange for a taste of Tsukune's blood. Of course she refused to allow such a thing to happen, but she had a feeling Tsukune was probably letting that girl sink her teeth into him again. The vampire had whined considerably over how she had not even taken a nip since Monday, which apparently had been a routine thing for the two prior to the swimming club ordeal.

They were making bread today. Ms. Hitori had handed off the instructions without saying much. Other than offering an occasional criticism, the teacher sat behind her station providing minimal supervision. Most of her comments came on the days they were not cooking, usually pertaining to the tidiness of their stations and whether or not the samples left behind were edible. It was not surprising that Ms. Hitori expected their group to try making muffins again tomorrow, since the last batch had been questionable.

The whispering from other stations had not lessened, though it was difficult to pinpoint if her true form was the topic of discussion. With Sakamori passed out on the floor and Shirayuki conspicuously taking notes, Kurumu doubted she would be spared this level of scrutiny. She hoped she was being sympathized with despite being a succubus.

It was just bread, so why was this so fucking complicated? She was fairly sure she had mixed all the correct ingredients in the right portions, but it was still very sticky and she had flecks of goo all over her uniform despite the complimentary aprons handed out at the start of the class. She probably even had some in her hair.

Her only consolation was the girl across from her was faring no better. Each of them was to take a turn making dough. Once their dough was formed, they were to set it aside in a pan and allow the next girl from their station to make her own dough. This was only supposed to take six or so minutes, but Kurumu suspected many of them were easily taking more than twice that.

There would be no baking today, since the dough needed more than an hour to rise. When asked about it, Ms. Hitori had vaguely offered the remark that most bakers started work well before dawn so that their wares were ready for the breakfast rush. She promised she would bake their bread for them so that they could sample their work tomorrow.

Kurumu flopped the dough on the counter, knowing that after every eight or so times she was supposed to scrape off the table with a spatula to repackage the dough. While this might be trapping some air, she felt like she was flinging dough all over the place. At least it was starting to look smoothed over and there was notably less mess on the table than when she had started. Picking it up, she flopped it back down before folding half over.

“I don't know about you, but I'm putting it in the pan now.”

Kurumu glanced up, noting the short haired blonde across from her was shaking her head and scraping her dough up. Recognizing hers was in no worse condition, Kurumu followed suit. She grabbed a pinch of flower and rubbed it all over the surface of her dough.

Once she felt she had most of it covered, she carefully picked it up. She smoothed the bottom with her hands and deftly slipped the rounded loaf into her powdered pan. As instructed, she draped a hand towel over the pan. Holding it carefully she carried it over to the table next to the teacher.

There was also quite a bit of giggling and chatter going on, as some were clearly having fun with this. Kurumu could see several pans already placed on the table, but there were less pans than stations which was slightly encouraging. She found the sheet of paper with her name on it, which was where she was supposed to set down her pan.

“Ms. Kurono!”

Kurumu was a bit startled by the sudden appearance of the twin setting down her pan on the table. Even without noticing the sheet marked Tarako, she doubted the other twin would speak with her. With a quick glance, she spied Haraka at station three stirring frantically at the contents of a bowl. Obviously the girl failed to grasp the concept of gently mixing the ingredients together till having the desired consistency.

“Ms. Kurono, can we talk?”

“Ms. Unabara, could you please carry on your conversation elsewhere. Ms. Kurono, could you help out your partners at your station.”

Ms. Hitori did not look up while making either command, busily flipping through the pages of her ViVi magazine. Kurumu's mother often brought home that magazine so she was rather familiar with it being a wealth of knowledge about things she would never possess.

Kurumu started walking back to her station, but was very aware of the twin following after her.

“What?”

“Ms. Kurono, would you mind coming to the pool this weekend?”

Kurumu huffed, slightly amused with the audacity.

“Why would I go there?”

She felt a slight tug on her waist, glancing over her shoulder. The twin had grabbed hold of the ties of her apron.

“What are you doing?”

“You don't have to swim. I was just hoping you could bring some friends.”

The girl smiled softly, toying with the ties which caused the knot at the small of Kurumu's back to come undone. Kurumu mildly swiped behind her to snatch the ties from the girl's hands before they arrived at the station.

“I'm not bringing my boyfriend back to that place.”

“Boyfriend?”

The blonde from station fourteen grinned, leaning up on the island counter as she regarded Kurumu with sparkling blue eyes. It was no trick of the mind either, as there clearly were little jags of white darting about the girl's iris like the flash of lightning across the sky.

“You have a boyfriend?”

“Yes, she does. His name is Aono.”

“Aono? Aono?”

The girl pouted with thought as Kurumu felt a little guilty considering Moka had made such a fuss over her calling Tsukune her boyfriend.

“Isn't that the guy that beat Komiya Saizou?”

“Oh yea, I heard about that.”

The tall brunette with hair that fell over the side of her head like the floppy ears of a mutt stepped closer in.

“Saizou was that monstrel brute, right? I heard he was suspended after picking a fight with Ms. Hitori.”

Kurumu laughed, wondering where these girls were getting their information from. She glanced over, noting that Shirayuki was carefully measuring out each item before placing it in the bowl. Once the right amount was placed in the bowl, Shirayuki intently checked the sheet of ingredients before moving on to the next step.

“I heard Ms. Hitori had to break up the fight.”

“With Aono?”

“Yea.”

“Wow, Ms. Kurono! I didn't know your boyfriend was that strong!”

Kurumu laughed, unsure what she was allowed to say about this. She strongly doubted Tsukune had beaten down Saizou, figuring something had happened that involved Tsukune removing Moka's seal.

“Yea, well, looks are deceiving.”

“So how bad did he beat him? I heard Komiya crawled back to the dorms after their first fight.”

“Yea, several people saw that. So are you dating Aono?”

“Well, I did bring him a picnic lunch this past weekend.”

The blond laughed and waved a hand dismissively.

“Why would you bother doing that? You did charm him, right?”

Kurumu scowled.

“What do you mean by that?”

The blond grinned mischievously.

“Tarako told most the girls of our class what happened at the pool, since a couple of our boys had been among the victims and were making such a fuss about it. There's little point denying what you are.”

Tarako pouted.

“Ms. Shindou, that's hardly fair.”

“Hardly fair? The girl can have any guy she wants with a glance. I'm not surprised she would steal up the first strong man that proved himself in this school.”

Kurumu huffed, glancing away. She saw that Shirayuki was quite oblivious to the conversation and Sakamori was snoozing away on the tiled floor.

The other girl from station fourteen betrayed no interest in the dialogue, absently stirring at the bowl. Her shoulder length hair bobbed with each slight movement. Her fine strands consisted of a peppered black and white that seemed more suited for an animal than a human. Her eyes possessed a very soft caramel hue.

“Anyways, you don't have to bring Mr. Aono. I'm sure you have other friends.”

The blond laughed.

“Are you trying to recruit her into bringing your depraved club food?”

Kurumu scowled.

“I would not.”

“Aw, couldn't you help just a little? I'm sure you could convince a couple guys to join you in a swim party over the weekend.”

“Don't you have some place you should be, silly fish?”

“But I was wanting an answer from Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu sighed, shaking her head.

“I can't believe you would even think to ask for a favor after what you guys did.”

“Yea, but the seniors-”

“I don't care about your seniors. Just… just leave me alone today, okay?”

Tarako pouted.

“Okay. Can I ask tomorrow?”

“No. At least give me till Monday.”

Tarako sighed dramatically.

“Okay.”

With a sullen air about her, the twin plodded off.

Shindou wryly grinned.

“So how far have you gone with your boyfriend?”

Kurumu snorted, turning her nose away.

“That's none of your business.”

“I suppose that was rather rude. My name is Shindou Asuka. And this is Taijin Yuu, from my old school. She had the rotten luck of having Mr. Nagamushi as her homeroom teacher.”

“It's not that bad.”

Kurumu shrugged, not really caring for formalities after insults. She gestured at the other girl, which only drew a shrug from Shindou.

“That's Meirowasa Tokori. Which class are you from?”

The girl was busy slapping her mixture upon the counter. Shirayuki was doing the same, though was far more meticulous about the whole procedure. Meirowasa did not look up, though she gave her answer in her low, raspy voice.

“Ms. Zaiten's. The math teacher.”

“Ah, yes, the other math teacher.”

Shindou frowned.

“Though I think there might be three at the freshmen level. Yea, there has to be.”

Figuring it would only be polite, Kurumu gestured to Shirayuki.

“That's Shirayuki from my class. I'm Kurono Kurumu and the girl on the floor is Sakamori. I don't recall which class she's from.”

The tall girl perked up.

“Hinoko is from my class.”

The blond wagged her hand, clearly uninterested in the formalities.

“Anyways, how far have you gone? Or did you charm him simply for the sake of having him?”

Kurumu scowled.

“I did not charm him. Tsukune is with me because he wants to be.”

Shindou glanced her over.

“I suppose that could be true. Not very sportsmanlike.”

“What?”

“I mean, considering you can win if you want to.”

“And what's that supposed to mean?”

“It's like realizing you are going to win and deciding to take all your opponent's pieces instead of allowing them the chance to concede defeat.”

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Asuka?”

The blond lifted off the counter, holding her hands up.

“Okay, I'll leave her alone. I was only curious.”

Kurumu smiled, nodding her thanks to the tall girl. While Shindou's remarks did not imply any favor towards her kind, they surprisingly lacked the level of animosity she had endured in junior high. Perhaps her smaller school had been a haven of smaller, intolerant minds.

Still, the whole exchange left a bad taste in her mouth. Grabbing up the mixing bowl, she walked over to the slumbering form of Sakamori. Her first impulse was to nudge the girl with her foot. But thinking that would be cruel of her, Kurumu set the bowl on the counter before kneeling down to shake the silly redhead by the shoulder.

* * *

“Stand. Bow. Dismissed.”

It was finally over. As thrilled as she was to conclude another day of school, she could not deny her worries over tomorrow’s assessments. Each of the core courses would be hosting an exam relevant to the subject matter required for the course.

With almost no grasp on English and not being particularly strong in any other subject, Kurumu worried that her backwoods education would miserably fail her. This could possibly be the last weekend she would have free. Why were the heavens so cruel to her?

Kurumu regarded her schoolbag, but decided to leave it. Morioka had said he would be meeting them here and that they would be hanging posters about the school. She did not want to lug her things all over so leaving it here was no different than any other desk.

“Bye.”

Kurumu waved at Shirayuki as the girl stalked off. She momentarily thought to ask if the quiet girl was interested in studying with them, but hesitated at the notion of having another girl in their group. In that pause, Shirayuki escaped out the back door.

Shirayuki puzzled her. While it was great that Shirayuki was attending classes, it still felt like she was not even here. She had spent most of her time with her face in that black notebook and none of the teachers had felt like calling on the girl for an answer or assignment.

Even their gym supervisor had let Shirayuki sit on the sidelines while the class held their first practice game of volleyball. As Ms. Hoshineru was the freshmen volleyball coach, she had been pushing it all week. With a glance around the field, Kurumu had noted many of the gym instructors were using this week for recruitment.

The mousy haired sweater girl was removed from the list of suspects. Irewata was the only girl in their combined group that was actually interested in joining the volleyball team, so her name had been called a couple times during the course of the games. Still, the short, bouncy girl was not as talented as several of their classmates that had no interest.

At this point, Kurumu was fairly convinced the fox girl was Hiboshi. She had the right, snobbish air about her to be the sort that would talk down on others and always was at the center of the classroom gossip. As much as Kurumu wanted to know why the girl was actively sabotaging the newspaper club, the girl probably possessed an even more obnoxious personality than Shindou. It would be easier if Morioka simply explained things.

As the class thinned out, Kurumu noted that Genzouyaki was still sprawled over her desk. The girl had left for lunch and had been quite active during gym, but had promptly passed out halfway through Ms. Nekonome’s last lecture. There was a girl destined for Saturday school. Kurumu wondered how long she would sleep there if nobody bothered to wake her up.

Kurumu sighed, idly wandering over to Tsukune’s desk. He was still seated, scribbling away in his notebook. Though he had a few pertinent notes on the sheet of paper, nearly half of it was devoted to a sketch of what was unmistakably Ikazuchi’s profile. While it was surprisingly good, Kurumu wondered why he would sketch another male student in his boredom.

Smiling, she gripped his shoulder. She quickly noticed the slight marks on his neck, before he looked inquisitively at her. She glanced aside at Moka as she stepped closer to Tsukune.

“Couldn’t help yourself?”

The vampire was standing next to the window, looking out. Frowning, Moka regarded her.

“What?”

Kurumu smiled as she leaned in. She grabbed the side of Tsukune’s head and pressed up against him. It was not nearly as comfortable trying to nestle the side of his head between her breasts, so she turned about, adjusting her hold as she leaned heavily against him.

“Hey, get off of him!”

Oh, this was heaven. She pressed her palms to his chest as she pulled him back to her. His hunger for her swelled with every second. Her heart beat rapidly as she turned her head slightly to kiss the top of his head.

Kurumu winced as her head was smacked with the bottom of a fist. She scowled at the wavering eyes of the angry vampire, freeing a hand to slug at Moka’s left shoulder. It was hardly a glancing blow, a message to back off, so it was a bit shocking to take a second knock to her noggin.

“What the hell?”

Kurumu backed off to rub the top of her head. Moka gnawed at her lip, bringing her fist protectively over her mouth.

“It’s… inappropriate.”

Kurumu scowled.

“Coming from the girl that tackled him in class on the first day.”

Moka blushed, glancing aside.

“Uh… yes, well.”

Tsukune laughed nervously as he stiffly put his notebook away and got to his feet.

“I guess we have to wait till our leader arrives.”

Some movement drew the attention to the approaching Nazohashi. The girl held a pink and green notebook to her chest as she timidly smiled. Nazohashi glanced to the doorway before coming to a stop near them. With a deep breath the girl turned her head slightly.

“I was thinking about your offer to study together and have accepted.”

“That’s great, Tora-“

“Where are we studying?”

Kurumu frowned. When she had first come up with the idea, she had wanted to hold such a session in Tsukune’s room. Dragging Moka into the equation had not changed her thoughts.

“Um… Tsukune’s room?”

Nazohashi snorted.

“I am certainly not going to be seen frequenting the male dormitory. May I propose the dining hall as an alternative?”

Her tone hardly suggested it was a request. Moka frowned.

“Wouldn’t that be too noisy?”

“We could also use one of the small study rooms on the ground floor, if the housemother allows it.”

With the mention of housemother, Kurumu guessed Nazohashi was talking about Baratoge.

“We have study rooms?”

“Of course we have them. You have to ask for permission to use them.”

“Wow, you have a much stricter set of rules than we do. Most of our rooms are open all the time.”

“I’m not sure if she will let us use the room, though, with Mr. Aono.”

Moka smiled, waving her hand dismissively.

“Oh, I think she’ll be fine if it’s not too late. Besides, I try to turn in before nine so I don’t think this will take long.”

“You go to bed that early?”

Kurumu laughed at Nazohashi.

“Yea, she surprised me when she told me that earlier.”

“Why is it so strange that I go to bed by nine? I’ve been doing it for years now so it feels normal to me.”

Nazohashi shrugged.

“I find it odd simply because you are a vampire, which I have always regarded as nocturnal creatures.”

Tsukune mildly laughed.

“But aren’t all monsters thought to be nocturnal?”

Kurumu frowned, wondering where he had got that nonsense from. Obviously he had been spending far too much time in the human world.

“Hey, Tsukune. I was meaning to ask you at lunch, but what part of the human world are you from? Moka said she was from Chiba.”

Nazohashi perked up.

“Chiba? My parents lived in Narita for a short time before they moved to Izumi.”

“Izumi, eh? I thought there was something familiar about you.”

They all looked to the doorway. Next to the still slumbering Genzouyaki stood Morioka. He was holding three full bouquets of red roses in his arms. He grinned brightly as he walked briskly across the room to join them.

“Lovely ladies always look better with roses, don’t you think?”

Tucking two aside, he thrust the first into Moka’s face. The vampire reluctantly took the bouquet, regarding it like it was something foreign.

Kurumu clutched at Tsukune’s shoulder when Morioka tried to offer her the next. Smoothly, the senior turned the offer to Nazohashi. The poor girl blushed a deep shade of red as she averted her eyes and allowed him to slip the bouquet over her notebook.

When Morioka turned back to her, Moka had already set her bouquet upon her desk. Morioka grinned.

“Please, take them.”

Kurumu clung to Tsukune tighter.

“I can’t accept flowers from a guy I’m not dating.”

This was largely true as there would be no end to pointless gifts if she started the habit of accepting things from every guy she accidentally or intentionally charmed. Besides, she felt almost nothing from Morioka, so she recognized this as an empty gesture.

“Suit yourself, though I’m not sure what I’ll do with this.”

Morioka turned about with a sigh. He suddenly perked up.

“Do my eyes deceive me or do we have a new lovely lady in our club?”

Kurumu giggled, letting the nervous Tsukune go before Moka made a fuss out of her clinginess.

“That’s Genzouyaki. She’s not in the club.”

Morioka rubbed the back of his head. With a shrug he walked back over to her desk, setting the bouquet down next to her head. With a smirk, he thrust his hands back into his pocket as he wandered back to them.

“That’s very nice of you, Senior.”

Morioka waved off Moka’s comment.

“It’s nothing. I’m glad you kept the girls warm, Aono. I can take over from here.”

Tsukune stiffened.

“What?”

Morioka laughed, pulling out a set of keys from his pocket. It was a silver ring with three brass keys. He held it out to Tsukune.

“I need you to run to the printing room and get the rest of our posters. I only brought enough to do a few classrooms, but I want to hit all the public places.”

“Eh?”

Tsukune took the key, regarding it carefully.

“What are the other keys for?”

“One is to open the room and the other unlocks our storage cabinet. I don’t remember what the last one is for.”

“Where is the printing room?”

“You know where the main hall is? It’s on the upper level next to the stairs that lead up to the headmaster’s office. Do you know where that is?”

“Vaguely.”

“Then hop to it, Aono! Those missing girls are counting on you!”

Kurumu could tell he was so full of it, but was amused enough to stick around and see what sort of nonsense Morioka had in mind. Tsukune bowed stiffly to Morioka before hurrying out the door. With Tsukune gone, Morioka immediately lightened up.

“So the little class rep is from Izumi? I’m from Kobe, so you could say we are neighbors.”

Nazohashi laughed nervously, setting the bouquet aside on a nearby desk.

“It’s not like I’m a native. I only spent the past four years there.”

“And yet you’ve already picked up a hint of the accent.”

Morioka grinned like a feral beast.

“How cute.”

Kurumu huffed, wanting to redirect his attention off the flush girl.

“I don’t know what accent you two are talking about.”

Morioka chuckled.

“And where are you from? What prefecture?”

“Why should that matter?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Tottori.”

Morioka brushed back his bangs with a laugh. Shifting his weight to his other foot, he grinned. The silver pendent shaped in a wolf’s head slipped out of his unbuttoned shirt to rest against the hem of his jacket.

“Well, missy, that’s because you have the accent yourself. Haven’t you noticed everyone else speaks slightly different?”

Kurumu frowned. She had not really thought anything odd about anyone speaking. Most of the students here talked like her mother did and the actors from television. Some were certainly more polite than others, but she had not thought anything special about any accents.

“Not really.”

“Ms. Kurono is not exactly the sharpest girl. Expecting her to notice small differences in mannerisms of speech is unfair to her.”

Kurumu scowled.

“Are we going to start hanging some posters?”

Morioka chuckled, turning about and waving for them to follow.

“I set a box of posters out in the hall before coming in. I want you to take a look and tell me if they are any good.”

Kurumu huffed, glancing at the other two before walking towards the doorway. She wondered what Genzouyaki would think whenever she did wake up with that bouquet next to her face. She hoped the girl would not read too much into the anonymous gesture.

Morioka was already down on his haunches next to a box. He glanced up at her and grinned, pulling the top sheet out of the box and handing it over to her.

Kurumu glanced at the poster, noting it was about twice the size of a sheet of notebook paper. Scrawled across the top in bold characters was MISSING. The poster had a black border with black and white photos of the three missing girls along with a grinning mug of Morioka listed as the contact for any information concerning the whereabouts of these girls. Under his picture was the rest of their names with mention of Ms. Nekonome being their advisor.

As the other two came around her, Morioka handed them both posters. Kurumu was not entirely surprised to see the name of Sakamori’s friend, Kinzoku. What little time the girl had spent conscious, she had been murmuring about her missing friend that lived next to her on the third floor. The other two girls, a Yochimaru and Zukkutani, were unfamiliar to her.

Moka gasped.

“I know these two! These two were in the art room.”

Morioka perked up, but remained comfortably on his haunches.

“Yes, I gathered that much information already, since those two went missing not long after the welcome ceremony. They were friends, but in separate classes due to the school policy. The faculty suspects foul play. Ms. Ishigami told me that they are looking at students that might have known the two before coming to Yokai.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“And what about this Ms. Kinzoku? How does she fit in?”

Morioka grinned.

“Officially she doesn’t. The girl went missing last weekend, and has no connection at all with the other two. They share no courses and were not acquainted in the past. The faculty is treating it as a separate incident.”

“Isn’t it then?”

Morioka picked up the box and stood up. With a roguish grin he slipped by Kurumu back into the classroom.

“I find the idea of it being a single culprit more attractive. Perhaps we are dealing with a serial killer, or an organization dealing with the transportation of young, nubile women.”

Kurumu snorted as she walked after him with the other two following her.

“I thought you were interested in the pursuit of truth and justice.”

“I’m fine with that if it is exciting enough to sell papers. Don’t you find it a little interesting that all three are freshmen girls?”

Kurumu shrugged as she thought about the swimming club incident.

“Not really. Ms. Nekonome told me on the first day that the freshmen fatality rate was higher than any other grade.”

Morioka laughed as he reached the podium, setting the box down at his feet. He turned about, leaning on the podium as he regarded them.

“Ms. Nekonome exaggerates things slightly.”

“Um… how bad is it?”

Morioka regarded Nazohashi. He shrugged, rubbing the back of his head.

“I never checked any official statistics, but I doubt there has ever been more than thirty or so students killed in a year.”

“Thirty?!”

Morioka nodded with a grin.

“That’s why losing three girls in less than two weeks is a big deal. Even if freshmen are the majority of the casualties, these circumstances are not normal. Usually losses in the first week are due to boys fighting amongst each other. That is a fact.”

Moka had a fierce look of determination in her eyes.

“We have to help these girls!”

Morioka grinned.

“Yes and the first thing we must do for these girls would be hanging these posters in the classes. We want people to come to us with any information they may have about the situation.”

“But… would this not interfere with the faculty’s investigation?”

Morioka waved off Nazohashi’s concerns.

“Nothing will be solved if we let them handle it. Letting them keep this in the dark only allows the culprit to operate without fear.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“I guess that makes some sense. So where in the classroom should we post this?”

Morioka stroked his chin as he looked about. After a cursory glance, he thumbed behind him.

“Well, since everyone looks at the board, it would make sense to put it up here.”

Kurumu laughed in disbelief.

“The teacher won’t let you hang your poster on their blackboard.”

“Yea, you’re right. We will have to hang it above the blackboard.”

“Above it?”

“Yes. I’ll go get you some chairs.”

Nazohashi frowned as they turned to watch Morioka gather up some chairs.

“Senior? If we hang it above the board, won’t the text be too small to read?”

Morioka picked up the chairs from two of the front row desks. He shrugged before stalking back to the board.

“That’s why I made sure there are pictures of the girls and myself. I’m sure with that large title, that the students will have an idea what it is about.”

Turning the backs of the chairs to the board, Morioka gestured to the makeshift stepping stools.

“I believe Akashiya is the tallest.”

Moka frowned as she approached the chairs. She looked up at the board and then at Morioka.

“Actually, Senior, I think you are the tallest.”

Smiling, Moka handed her poster over to Morioka. He sighed slightly, clambering up onto the seats. He held the poster against the wall and glanced over his shoulder. Nodding, he held a hand down.

“Hand me a tack or some tape. I think I have both in the box over there.”

Nazohashi knelt down by the box, grabbing a clear case of thumbtacks. She walked over to the chairs and handed him the box.

“I only need a couple. Take them out.”

Sheepishly, the girl opened the case and fished out a few, handing them up. Morioka deftly tacked up the poster in seconds. He hopped back, admiring his handiwork. With a nod, he grabbed up the chairs, intent on putting them back in place.

“We have quite a few classrooms to do, so let’s get moving.”

Moka frowned.

“What about Tsukune?”

“Aono? Oh, I’m sure he’ll find us eventually.”

Eventually was not happening any time soon. As a group, they hit up all the first year classrooms before wandering downstairs to hit the next set of classes. Morioka was clearly disappointed with the task of carrying the box and putting up all the posters, but he kept up his cheerful smile. Kurumu almost felt sorry for the guy.

After the second junior classroom, Moka and Nazohashi started to take turns putting up posters for him while Kurumu got delegated the task of box holding. Only slightly taller than Kurumu, Nazohashi had to struggle quite a bit to get a poster above the backboard. She had to have Moka give her a slight boost to place the pins at the top.

With the girls taking over, Morioka had settled into watching while standing beside Kurumu. He would tilt his head and sometimes back away to hunker down some as if he were seated at a desk. After a minute or so of scrutiny, he would approve of the location before moving on to the next room.

After finishing the junior classrooms, Kurumu convinced Morioka to stop by the printing room to see what was taking Tsukune so long. Not finding him there, Morioka had sent Nazohashi back to their homeroom, supposing Tsukune might have returned there and was waiting for them. He instructed the girl to assist Tsukune in hanging posters in the science labs they had skipped and that they would meet up with them after hanging their remaining posters in the small gym and cafeteria.

The small gym was the one they had used for volleyball today. It was next to the cafeteria and behind the library. She had to wonder if all that dribbling and running could be heard in the library, since it was clear as day while in the silent cafeteria. On a whim, Morioka taped up a couple posters on the cafeteria walls, since the concrete blocks were impervious to tacks. Reduced to a mere four sheets, they pushed through the nearest double doors into the noisy gym.

The basketball team attacked the ball with more seriousness than Kurumu had ever seen at a practice before. As Takada had been a starter for the team, she had watched him practice many times even after she was suspended from attending games. She wondered if he was playing for some high school team somewhere that would play against Yokai academy. It was not like monster high schools could compete against the local human schools.

With a glance, she did not recognize most of the players running about the court. The only one that stuck out was that broomstick haired kid from her class. She smiled, realizing how tall that kid was running around with all the other boys, though he did not seem particularly better than anyone else on the court.

“Hey, over here.”

Kurumu glanced over at Morioka. He gestured for her to follow as he walked behind the backstop. As a practice gym, there were no bleachers along the sides for spectators. All of that stuff was in the adjacent gym which also had the stage where their welcoming ceremony had been held.

Like most practice gyms she had seen, the walls were lined with blue padding that extended well over her head. As she wandered out after her two companions, she regarded the padding with a mild frown. With how balls had a habit of flying about in gyms, she doubted there was any good location for missing girl posters.

Continuing on with his aloof manner, Morioka seized a steel scaffold that had a set of steps on one side and wheels at the end of each support. Grabbing two of the supports, he backed towards them, glancing up at the wall. The scaffold squealed a little as he wiggled the contraption towards them, though most of the sound was lost in the sharp squeaks of shoes.

“We will have to tape the posters above the padding. I don't think they'd appreciate if I used tacks and the tape won't hold to that surface.”

Moka frowned deeply, backing away as Morioka scooted the scaffold up against the blue padding. Even with the top mesh platform of the contraption being just below his chin, it looked like it would be a stretch for even Moka to get a poster over that canvas.

“Nobody will be able to see that.”

Morioka shrugged off Moka's concerns.

“If they notice one in here, they'll realize it's the same that they've seen elsewhere. This is just to get them interested in taking a closer look at the ones they can see in other places.”

Morioka held out his hands to Kurumu. When she failed to respond fast enough, he grabbed the box from her with a grin.

“Why don't you hang a poster instead of watching me do all the work?”

Kurumu smirked.

“But I'm the shortest one here. I'd have to climb up on the safety rails to get a poster on that wall.”

Morioka nodded as if he did not care. He pulled the last posters out of the box and handed them over to her.

“Go ahead and put them all next to each other. That would surely catch their attention.”

Kurumu snorted, thinking this was silly. Still, Moka had already wandered over to the steps and was tentatively taking a step onto the scaffold. The structure shifted under her weight. As she squeaked in alarm, Morioka dropped the box to quickly grab the supports. He grinned broadly.

“Don't worry. I'll hold the thing steady while you two put up the posters.”

Not feeling very reassured, Kurumu slowly walked over to the steps while Moka steadily ascended the shaky contraption. She waited for Moka to get all the way up, noting how the scaffold felt a little more stable with the vampire's weight up there. Gripping the railing, Kurumu started up the metal mesh steps.

“Senior!”

Kurumu stepped up the last of the four steep stairs, noting the arrival of Tsukune and Nazohashi. With a nervous smile, she waved at the pair that was walking over to them.

“Ah, good timing. Help me keep this thing steady, Aono.”

Tsukune frowned as he neared, holding a box full of posters.

“What are we doing?”

“Set that down over there. Nazohashi, go ahead and take the tape up to the girls.”

Kurumu leaned over the rail and smiled down at Tsukune, glancing over as Nazohashi took a timid step onto the first level.

“So what happened to you?”

Tsukune laughed, his face a bit flush as he gripped the nearest support.

“Oh well, I was waiting for you guys.”

Nazohashi chuckled as she joined them on the platform. There was barely enough room for all three of them. Nazohashi handed Moka the tape.

“Ms. Genzouyaki was awake and confused with Mr. Aono's explanations about the flowers. You had to be there.”

Kurumu smirked, shaking her head.

“Okay, if you got it, then I'll stand back and see how it looks.”

“Senior?”

“You have it, right?”

“Well, yea.”

Morioka wandered back a step, glancing up at her. He wagged his hands at her.

“Put the posters up. We still have other places to put these.”

Kurumu smirked, thinking he was probably getting a kick out of making three girls do his dirty work. Lifting up off the rail, she turned about and regarded the wall. It was not nearly as bad as she thought. She could easily reach over the top of the canvas if she stepped up onto the middle rail.

“You got the tape, right?”

Moka nodded so Kurumu handed the posters to Nazohashi, keeping only one in hand. She gripped the top rail and stepped gingerly up onto the lower rail. She gestured to Nazohashi.

“You keep me steady, okay?”

“Why don't you let Moka do it?”

Kurumu perked an eyebrow, this being the first notable time Nazohashi had used Moka's first name. She glanced at the vampire and shrugged.

“Because she'd also have to step up onto the rail and I'm probably the lightest one here.”

Moka stuck her tongue out, so Kurumu returned the gesture. Gripping the top of the canvas, Kurumu leaned up against the wall and spread the poster out against the wall. She could easily reach the top, so there was no need to have any of the others step up on the rail.

“How does it look, Senior?”

The response to Nazohashi's question was an unbelievable rush of desire that had her happy she was already pressed up against a wall with no place to go. Her mouth parted as she shivered.

“Kurumu? Are you okay?”

Breathily, Kurumu wagged a hand down at the vampire.

“Tape! Please, tape!”

A small strip of stickiness was pressed against her fingers. Shuddering, Kurumu carefully pressed the tape where it was needed. She rubbed her cheek against the poster as she held her hand down again. Another strip was provided and she had the top as secure as any of the posters they had done.

This was bad. Since her locker room admirer had not shown today, she was very reluctant to give up on this lovely feeling. But she was starting to squirm under the intensity of this want for her. She only had one poster up and was doubting she could get the other three without an accident.

“Yes. That's perfect. Nazohashi, could you move a little closer to Kurono. I'm worried she might fall.”

“So how does it look?”

Kurumu mewled as she felt the familiar gush of desire from Tsukune. Her knees pressed tightly together as every inch of her body trembled. She could not safely endure any more of this intense pleasure. She had to let one of the other girls do this.

She squeaked out a plea for help before her feet slipped off the rail. Her cheek had a jarring impact against the top of the canvas, but it was nothing compared to the sudden fear of falling. It was such an impulsive fear, instantly cut short as her feet hit the platform an instant later. Nazohashi was already wrapping steadying arms about her.

“Are you okay, Ms. Kurono? Kurumu?”

Kurumu grabbed the girl's shoulders, squeezing them as her body shuddered one more time. She pressed the top of her head against Nazohashi's breast, while arching her back such that their view was not completely hindered. Despite her mild effort, she felt most of the interest was gone.

“Wha-wha-what are you doing, Senior?!”

Tsukune had apparently recovered from his lustful moment. His startled shout had caught the attention of all in the gym, causing the players to cease their practice out of curiosity.

“Huh? Are you girls okay up there? Come on, we don't have all day.”

Nazohashi hugged Kurumu up against her tiny frame, rubbing her back.

“I think she got a little dizzy. I'll put them up once she's steady.”

“Take your time.”

“But you're totally peeping at their panties!!!”

Nazohashi stiffened and Moka gasped. Kurumu hugged Nazohashi tightly, still shivering as the source of her pleasure was abruptly cut off. Feeling a little steadier, she straightened up and let go of the girl.

“What are you talking about? I'm making sure the posters can be seen.”

“B-b-but!!!”

“You wouldn't be taking advantage of this to look up their skirts, right?”

Morioka laughed.

“I just now noticed that you can. I'm sorry, girls. Get down from there before any other perverts see this. We can hang up the posters.”

Flush, Nazohashi pressed her skirt to her thighs as she quickly hopped down the stairs. An equally flush vampire pressed hands to Kurumu's back, encouraging her to make the descent.

“What?!”

Kurumu sort of stumbled and fell down the stairs, but thankfully it was not a very tall platform. When she touched down on the floor, she pressed up against the canvas for support, taking deep, calming breaths.

“Huh? You're not going to pretend now like you weren't looking up their skirts, are you?”

She could hardly believe his cocky behavior. He was effectively turning this around on Tsukune, when she knew he had took advantage of the situation first. She could hear the nervous tone in Tsukune's voice.

“No, I wasn't! I… well… I did see them, but I was not trying to!”

The sound of slaps drew her attention. Kurumu scowled as Moka and Nazohashi stormed off in a huff, completely unaware that Morioka was more to blame. Tsukune was holding his jaw as Morioka laughed.

“Ah, great, now look at what you did. I'm not hanging the rest of these posters by myself.”

“But, Senior!”

“Just go home, Aono. I can pick up this mess.”

“But, but, Kurumu?”

Kurumu nodded at him, gesturing for him to go. She was still not fully recovered from Tsukune's desire and she had some things she wanted to straighten out with Morioka. She winced at the hurt look in his eyes as he ran off, likely misunderstanding her intent. Angrily she regarded the cause of this debacle.

Morioka was chuckling as he picked up everything and stowed it away in the box Tsukune had brought out. Lifting the box, he dropped it inside the nearly empty box nearby and picked both up. He glanced over at her and smiled, nodding his head.

“Come on, then. You shouldn't let your boyfriend run off into the arms of another woman.”

Kurumu scowled as she walked out on his heels. As they walked through the cafeteria, she heard the sounds of practice resume while the coach shouted at the boys to keep focused. As they left the cafeteria, she could tell he was heading back to the printing room by the direction he took down the hall. She followed him.

He knew she was following him and she could tell he completely misunderstood the situation by the smoldering desire dripping out of him. Once she felt there were no prying eyes, she quick stepped up against him and grabbed him. He had a smug look that quickly turned to surprise when she shoved him up against the wall and held two dagger fingers to his throat.

“Hey, hey, I don't mind it being a little rough, but take it easy.”

“Don't you ever do that again to him!”

Morioka smirked, rolling his eyes.

“I don't have to ask. I could make you do what I want.”

Morioka chuckled, still holding his box without much concern over her threat.

“You have no idea what you are doing.”

Kurumu scowled.

“Are you threatening me?”

Morioka smiled, pointedly not meeting her gaze.

“I would not dream to.”

“I don't care if you chase Moka, but don't you dare make Tsukune out to be something he is not.”

Morioka smirked.

“But it worked, didn't it? She was very upset about it.”

“Don't act like you planned that, you slippery weasel.”

“You don't seem to understand men and women, which I find amusing.”

“Don't you patronize me!”

“A girl either loves or hates a guy. Clearly the fastest way to her heart is to crush the man already in it.”

Kurumu refused to acknowledge Moka loving Tsukune. The girl was simply lonely and lacked any real understanding of friendship. Glancing aside, she clenched her teeth as she forced the words from her lips.

“You are mistaken. I'm the girlfriend.”

Morioka smirked. He leaned forward, the tips of her fingers piercing his skin. He grinned as she withdrew, blood dribbling down his neck.

“Then if you wish for that to remain true, I would suggest backing off, and letting me do what I know works.”

She backed away, lowering her hand. She suddenly felt very uncertain about letting this guy pursue Moka.

“Why are you acting like this is some sort of game?”

Morioka laughed. Adjusting his grip on the boxes, he started off.

“Because it is a game. The oldest game in history. And I intend to win her over.”

Kurumu watched him go, not really wanting to pursue.

“Why?”

He paused, turning his head slightly.

“Because there's something very special about that girl. I want her. And there is nothing you can do to stop me from getting her.”

Kurumu snorted as he continued to walk off. She would be damned if she let that guy have Moka now. Nothing she could do? He clearly underestimated how powerful a few words tonight would be to end any chance he had of acquiring his trophy. Besides, she had a feeling Tsukune would never approve of Moka having a relationship with this player.

Kurumu sighed as she started back to her classroom. It looked like she would have to look somewhere else for a boyfriend for Moka.


	12. Dance in the Moonlight

What a mess.

Kurumu sighed as she waited with Moka in line for breakfast. She had been so confident in her ability to turn the table on Morioka, but the study session she had been counting on had not happened.

This morning Moka had knocked on her door before six. Being forced out of bed a half hour early mildly bothered her, but the shower had effectively washed the slumber out of her system. It also helped that Moka was very encouraging of her to hurry up.

Kurumu had not thought about it till late last night, but she really should have been doing laundry. She had completely forgotten about picking up a uniform set from the school store to replace the one Moka had destroyed last week. Moka had made a mild fuss over her putting worn clothes on, but it was not like the vampire had anything Kurumu could slip into.

It was not surprising that Tsukune was not in the dining hall. It was only six thirty, so it would probably be a good fifteen or more minutes before he would show up. Kurumu sighed again.

When she had returned to the classroom yesterday, all the schoolbags had been gone. Realizing she had been abandoned, Kurumu had hurried back to the dorms, hoping to catch up with one of them. Failing that, she had ducked into the dining hall but had not found any of her friends. Thinking that one of them would have to eventually come to eat, she had waited around for more than an hour. Conceding defeat, she had taken a sack meal home.

After eating, Kurumu had gone downstairs to speak with Moka. By the time Kurumu had given up on Moka answering her door, it had been fairly dark out. She had considered visiting Tsukune to talk about the gym incident, but had decided against spending any time waiting to be let through the door on his floor. Even if he had been awake, it was not safe for a girl to hang out around the male dormitory late at night with an almost full moon on the rise.

In her experience, all boys were more aggressive those three nights when the moon was at its brightest. This weekend would be difficult for young couples trying to maintain some semblance of dignity. She mildly wondered if Tsukune would be more aggressive Sunday night. She shivered at the thought.

As she picked up her tray, she had to force that pleasant notion aside. Tsukune was probably upset with her. She tried to think of what she could say to him today while picking up a breakfast plate. Sadly, she had no idea what she could say without knowing what it was he was upset about. Frowning as she swiped her card at the register, Kurumu imagined the only thing she could do without fear of making things worse would be a reassuring hug.

Sighing, Kurumu hung out around the register after getting her yuzu juice, while Moka paid for her meal. The vampire had been walking around briskly with a determined attitude all morning. After a quick trip to the vending machines, Moka waved for Kurumu to follow her out into the dining area. Her step was notably aimless for a few seconds before the vampire's mood lightened up.

“There she is.”

With quick steps, Moka closed in on a pair of girls seated at a long table. Kurumu noted one of them was Nazohashi, and smiled softly as she moved to join Moka. She supposed a talk among the girls would not be a bad thing, considering Moka had not been inclined to participate in small talk yet this morning.

“Tora!”

Nazohashi glanced up and smiled. Setting her utensils aside, she covered her mouth while waving politely with her other hand. Moka quickly slipped around the girl to claim the nearby chair.

The other girl was dressed unusual. She had a sleeveless black jacket that was held shut by five white ties down the center of the front. The high collar swept up most the girl's small neck, though she gave no signs of discomfort despite the tight fit. The garment continued down past her waist, but since it was open in the front, the girl had fluffed it out so that she was not sitting on the fabric. A simple pair of black slacks covered her legs while the waistline hidden beneath the jacket.

Kurumu set her tray down on the other side of Nazohashi. Returning the stranger's wide smile, Kurumu sat down.

Nazohashi finally swallowed down whatever she had been hiding. She gestured across the table.

“This is Deshi Deshiko. She's my next door neighbor.”

The girl tilted her head slightly, her reddish plum hair swaying like pendulums from the three tied points. Her healthy mane was secured with white, lace ribbons tied in the shape of bows. Even though two of those points were in front of her ears, she still had a trimmed line of bangs curled over her forehead.

“I happy make acquaintance.”

The girl smiled and nodded her head. Her narrow eyes finally opened, revealing a soft, canary yellow iris.

“You may call DeDe. Yes.”

Moka smiled as Kurumu wondered why a foreigner was in the school.

“I'm Akashiya Moka. My friend is Kurono Kurumu.”

Not wanting to be rude, Kurumu quickly nodded. Turning to Nazohashi, she murmured softly.

“Is she a student here?”

Nazohashi giggled, pressing two fingers on Kurumu's shoulder. The class representative pushed gently, clearly wanting some distance.

“Ms. Deshi is from Hong Kong. She’s from Class 1-2.”

“Yes. Very much enjoy Ms. Sunao. Hope learn many things.”

Deshi nodded and smiled. She had such a light, soprano voice that it sounded adorable when she awkwardly paused over each phrase.

“So… you two are friends.”

Nazohashi shrugged.

“I suppose so.”

“Hear about club. Very interesting.”

Moka perked up.

“Would you like to join?”

Deshi smiled, wagging a hand in front of her face.

“No, no. Too busy. But love hear more.”

“Ms. Deshi was recruited into the student police.”

“Student police?”

“They work for the student council for the purpose of upholding school policies.”

Deshi nodded, holding her palms up.

“Very big work. No free time.”

Nazohashi huffed.

“Unlike class representatives or the student council, the student police is regarded as a club since they are not elected. If I had known that, I would have joined them instead of taking the class rep job.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Yea, I could imagine you getting a kick out of enforcing school rules.”

“This could be great! With a contact in the student police, we might be able to find out information concerning those missing girls much faster!”

Kurumu giggled as Deshi sported a concerned frown.

“DeDe! Have you heard anything about missing girls in the school?”

“Missing girls?”

Nazohashi sighed.

“Senior said the investigation was being held by the faculty. I doubt the student council knows about it.”

“Still, the student police might be able to spread the word about this incident. We have posters all over the school, DeDe. Take a look and tell us if you find out anything.”

Deshi smiled.

“Yes, look. Keep contact.”

The girl smoothed out her jacket before slipping out of her chair. She was not a very tall girl like Moka, but likely taller than Kurumu. The girl picked up a small pole and held it over her shoulder like a bat.

“Whoa! Do the student police carry around weapons?!”

Deshi laughed, holding the slender staff out for them to see.

“Lovely trinket, yes. Very nice. Ms. Akashiya.”

Moka frowned as the girl opened her eyes a second time, glancing over the vampire.

“Lovely trinket too. Very interesting. Bye.”

There was something about the way the girl drawled 'very' that made it both sinister and cute. Kurumu would not deny feeling relieved that the girl had walked off. Those empty, eyeless smiles reeked of a mischievous personality aimed to cause trouble.

Nazohashi was picking at what remained of her meal. Her pink and green notebook from yesterday rested beside her tray. While the girl pointedly set to the task of finishing her meal, Kurumu decided it was overdue to start working on hers.

As she gnawed on her bread roll, Kurumu thought about her project in home economics. This was proof why cooking for yourself was an empty endeavor. Even taking small bites, she could devour this roll in much less time than it would take to make this silly thing. This was why it was only polite to thank someone that gave you a meal, since this was their precious time.

Not that the cooks here deserved any praises. This was probably not even worth the yen she had spent on it.

“Ms. Akashiya… Moka. Um… I had some ideas.”

Nazohashi had pushed aside her tray and was flipping through her notebook. Once she had a certain page, she scooted the book over to the vampire.

“I was thinking one of us should contact the athletics director. That person would be able to give us some sort of idea when all the sport events happen during the year.”

“Who is the athletics director?”

Nazohashi shrugged.

“I don't know how many articles we want to give to sports, but I know my dad always reads the sports page. We have to have one.”

“That sounds good.”

Kurumu smirked.

“For male readers. We have to put in about the same amount for fashion if you want to get the girls interested.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“But that is… volatile.”

“What?”

“We can't possibly compete with fashion magazines. If they say one thing and we say something else… it's just foolish.”

“Well what do you suggest then? How else will we get girls to read this?”

“I don't know. We can focus on each of the clubs. Every girl here has to be involved in a club, so we are bound to touch on something that interests them if we do that.”

“But not with every issue. It's not like every club will have things going on every couple weeks.”

Moka drank down her juice, her meal finished.

“We are going to need more contacts.”

“Contacts?”

“Yes. There is no way the three of us can cover everything going on in every club this school has to offer.”

Nazohashi toyed with the raven locks about her ear.

“I could see if I can get a club registry from the student council with a list of all the club leaders and liaisons.”

“And I think Senior was fine with the idea of having articles about the school faculty and plans.”

“Yes. Since he mentioned costs, I was also thinking we could offer advertisements in our paper. We could devote a whole sheet and charge so much yen per the size of the ad.”

Kurumu huffed.

“But recruitment is over. What does anyone need ad space for?”

“Several things. Sports events. Fundraisers. Maybe some of the local businesses would like an ad.”

“Local businesses? There aren't any local businesses.”

Nazohashi shrugged.

“When I was talking with Ms. Nekonome, I heard that there is a nearby town that the faculty often visit.”

“Town? Within the barrier?”

“I guess so. There's a section she called the Mononoke Arcade which has all the basic things a person may want to have. It's open to the student body, though they have a strict curfew on school nights.”

Moka mulled the thought over.

“A town for monsters. I wouldn't mind seeing it.”

Nazohashi sighed.

“I don't know if I could handle it. I heard that keeping your human form is quite optional there, so it's not a place I really want to go.”

A place where she could actually wear some of her clothes without ridicule. Kurumu slammed her palms down on the table, startling the other two.

“We have to go there! Uh… I mean. For the advertisements!”

Nazohashi turned to Moka.

“I suppose a day trip might not be a bad idea.”

Kurumu envisioned walking around a town in her true form while holding onto Tsukune's arm. In her thoughts, Moka and Nazohashi were tagging along with bright smiles while they stopped at a delicatessen for a small meal. And none of the random monsters looked down upon her for what she was, because these monsters were not a bunch of small minded country hicks with nothing better to do than belittle minorities.

“Kurumu?”

She snapped out of her daydream. The other two were already on their feet, regarding her with some concern.

“We should be heading to class. It's nearly seven.”

Ignoring what remained of her meal, Kurumu grabbed her schoolbag and stood up. She glanced around the dining hall.

“We should take Tsukune with us.”

Moka huffed, stalking away from them.

“Why? He can walk to school by himself.”

Disturbed that the vampire was still angry over yesterday, Kurumu followed after the two girls. By the stiff way Moka was walking, she doubted she could convince the vampire to wait for Tsukune. Still, she had to keep that lovely image in her head a possibility.

“I… not right now. I was thinking when we go to the town.”

Moka flinched, pausing at the door.

“I… he would decline.”

The vampire pushed open and walked out into the morning.

“What?”

“Besides, why would I want to walk around with a panty peeper?”

Nazohashi nodded enthusiastically as they joined Moka outside.

“I know. I was so embarrassed. I'm just glad none of the basketball team felt like getting a closer look at what was going on.”

Kurumu was still sulking over the dismissal of her dream. Still, she could not believe these two were not even questioning the real culprit.

“You both know that Morioka was looking too, right?”

“It's a good thing he said something.”

Unbelievable.

“I know. And it was just a boring pair too.”

“Boring?”

“Well, I only have a couple that I wouldn't mind being seen in.”

Kurumu huffed. She could not believe they were not even considering the possibility that Morioka was the real pervert. However, it was sort of odd that Moka had said she would not mind being seen in certain panties. Intrigued, she threw in her own comment.

“I only have boring pairs of panties, but that's because my mother is such a prude. Never let a parent shop for your undergarments.”

“Why? My dad has always bought my things.”

Kurumu laughed at Nazohashi.

“Your dad buys your underwear?”

“It's just underwear. I don't know why you two care so much about it.”

Moka smiled.

“I sort of understand what you mean, but the other girls laughed at me when they found out I was wearing 'kiddy' underwear.”

“How did other girls ever find out what sort of underwear you wore?”

Moka smiled weakly.

“Well… one of the boys thought flipping my skirt was a fun way to pick on me.”

Kurumu sighed.

“Tell me you beat the life out of that boy.”

“Um… no. He was expelled when a teacher caught him doing it.”

Shaking her head, she regarded Nazohashi.

“So what sort of underwear does your daddy buy you? Is he one of those creepy old guys?”

“What?!”

“Well, he is buying underwear for a teenage girl. That's pretty weird.”

Nazohashi snorted.

“If you must know, he buys me practical things. He's very normal.”

Moka perked up.

“Maybe we could buy some things when we go to the town. More mature things.”

Nazohashi laughed. She gestured dramatically.

“Oh, yes. A little frills and lace is so much more mature than enjoying practical comfort.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“Well, if we are going for comfort, wearing nothing is best.”

Nazohashi flinched.

“The key word there was practical.”

Kurumu grinned, playfully bumping into Nazohashi's shoulder.

“Hey. Should I ask my boyfriend what sort of underwear you have?”

Moka glowered.

“He's not your boyfriend.”

Kurumu stuck out her tongue.

“He's obviously not yours since you are making such a fuss about him seeing up your skirt.”

Moka blushed darkly, turning her nose away in response. Grinning, Kurumu clapped a hand to her breast.

“I don't mind at all. It's great knowing he wants to look.”

Nazohashi scowled.

“Then could you keep him on a tighter leash? You are a succubus.”

Kurumu smirked.

“A succubus with plain white briefs. Then again, if I had a doting father buying such things, I'd be thinking character prints. Am I right?”

Nazohashi flushed, bowing her head.

“That's just stupid. My father isn't like that.”

“Ah, no Doraemon? No Hello Kitty?”

Nazohashi huffed, turning her face away.

“I'm not going to answer to your childish antics.”

Grinning, Kurumu decided to bring up some of the titles the older junior high kids had been talking about before she left the human world.

“Oh. Maybe something a little more mature? Like Vash the Stampede?”

“That is so old. School Rumble is the popular thing now.”

Sadly, slipping off into the spiritual realm in the fourth grade had cut off her source of current culture. Most of the monsters living in Kengamine had no use of humans, so Kurumu imagined she was years behind modern trends.

“Ah, so you have School Rumble character prints.”

Nazohashi regarded her with flush exasperation.

“Look, Ms. Kurono. I suggest you spend your time thinking about the assessments instead of concerning yourself with my underwear!”

Kurumu scowled. Of all the things the girl could have said, that topic surely killed her interest in carrying on the conversation. Without the study session, Kurumu wondered if she even had a chance of passing any of the subjects. A dismal future of remedial classes awaited her.

They definitely had to go out this weekend.

* * *

This day had been utterly exhausting. Not only did they suffer the grueling torture of the assessments, but Ms. Nekonome thought it was the perfect day to spring a surprise test over the completely useless topic of human coexistence. Was there really any value in knowing that a Jorougumo could technically reproduce without eating her human male partner? Such information would only be useful to a Jorougumo, so she felt it unreasonable if she was penalized for not knowing the answer.

At least it had been multiple choice. She hoped blood sucking had been the right answer, since it felt the most logical. Marking down the last answer, she picked up the sheet and approached the teacher's desk.

There was no official dismissal today. More than half the class had turned in their papers and had left for their clubs. She almost felt stupid handing in her sheet after so many of her peers had finished.

It felt even worse thinking how both Nazohashi and Moka had finished before her. Neither lived among monsters, so it was slightly insulting that they both new this subject matter better. At least Tsukune was still seated, scratching at his head with a confused look.

Knowing she was expected to leave, Kurumu wandered across the vacant front row and out the door. She glanced down the hallway, noting other students slowly trickling out of other classrooms. She frowned at this oddity, wondering if every class was holding the same surprise test. It was no secret that all the homeroom teachers met their classes for the final period to teach the same subject about human coexistence.

After a couple looks about, Kurumu wondered if the other girls had went to the club room. None of them had been very chatty during lunch due to the assessments. Honestly, Kurumu had felt so frazzled by the overwhelming amount of things she did not know that she swore her fried brains would ooze out her ears if she did not keep her head up straight.

She sighed, wandering over to the wall and leaning back against it. Ms. Hitori had waived any catch up work for the day, so it had mostly been chewing on bread and sharing gossip. Hers had been so surprisingly delicious that she had saved a small baggie to hand to Tsukune later. She wondered if she should go and get it now while she had the time.

As to gossip, Sakamori was a terrible confidant that Kurumu would never share a secret with. The silly girl had talked rather animatedly about this Inui fellow that was dating her friend, Senjo, though it quickly became clear that Sakamori knew very little about the details of the relationship. Of course that did not deter Shindou from filling in the gaps with leading questions that the redhead was too naïve not to answer.

For some reason her gym admirer had missed another day of voyeurism. She could have really used that fix on a day when everyone was so distracted with tests to give a care about pretty girls. Feeling neglected, she hugged herself and hoped Tsukune would finish soon.

The bell sounded the end of the day. She felt something directed at her, causing her to look to the doorway. Scowling, she looked away and tried to ignore the revolting desire Hedoyami licked upon her as he trudged out the door and down the hall. She suddenly had a worrisome thought about her gym admirer, and a shudder coursed down her body. It would be terrible if that guy was some nasty creature like Hedoyami.

“Kurumu?”

She perked up at his voice. She sprung from the wall and threw her arms about him, causing him to stagger as she nuzzled her cheek against his chest.

“Kurumu!”

“Mmmm, it's been such a long day.”

“Uh… yea. Where are the others?”

She shrugged while holding him. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the scent of his clothes. She could feel how tense his body was, knowing he was unfamiliar with the touch of a woman. She sighed, mildly content as she relaxed her hold on him.

“I think they may have gone to the printing room, though I have no idea if Morioka will be there or not. Should we wait here to see if he comes here?”

Tsukune stepped back, timidly touching her arms. His hands drifted down to hers, pointedly trying to get free of her loose grip without making a scene.

“We should go find the others.”

Kurumu smiled, letting him free himself, but snatching up his hand in the process. She could feel him staring at her while he rubbed the back of his head indecisively. Giving up, he started down the hallway with her in tow.

So much had gone wrong this past week, but this was nice. She had been thinking so much about getting Moka a boyfriend when she could have been trying harder to solidify her position as his girlfriend. Convincing Moka and the other girls was pointless if Tsukune did not start treating her like she was special to him.

She squeezed his hand as she took quicker steps to keep up with his slightly longer gait. She noted his slight pause and the turn of his head, though she kept her attention on the smooth expanse of the green jacket. She wished it was shorter like the girl's jacket, since the silly thing fell far past the waistline. She had already noticed many of the boys having to lift the sides up to slip their hands in the pockets of the standard khakis.

They came to the main foyer and headed down the balcony. He paused at the railing for a moment, his attention upon the grand staircase.

“Don't you two look the lovely couple.”

Morioka was halfway up the stairs, his hands thrust in his pockets as he grinned up at them. Tsukune yanked his hand away so fast that Kurumu could not keep hold of him. She pouted as Tsukune walked away to join the ascending club president.

“Where are the others?”

“I sent them to the computer lab to familiarize with our layout software.”

Morioka grinned.

“Considering I have no idea how that stuff works. I ducked out since I had to turn in some late work to my English teacher.”

Kurumu smirked. The way this guy flaunted his shortcomings amused her.

“You’re such a role model.”

“So… where is the computer lab?”

Morioka laughed at Tsukune's question.

“There’s no need for all of us to hover around a computer. I was planning on showing you something very important.”

“Huh?”

Morioka gestured at her, waving her off.

“You should probably go the computer lab. Tsukune and I have some field research to do that isn’t suited for a woman.”

Kurumu had a very bad feeling about leaving Tsukune alone with this guy.

“What exactly do you want to show me?”

Morioka smirked, pointedly repeating his dismissive gesture.

“I'm not sure the little lady here would be up for what you will see. It's something only a man could stomach.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Is this about the missing girls?”

Morioka nodded gravely.

“Yes. I found something very disturbing. I want Tsukune to confirm that I'm right about this before bringing the evidence.”

Kurumu could not get a read on him. He seemed very serious about this. She clenched her fists.

“I can handle anything. I'll come too.”

“No, that's okay, Kurumu. Besides, I have some things I would like to talk about with Senior. Could you please go back with the others?”

Kurumu hesitated. She really did not like the idea of Tsukune being alone with Morioka, but Tsukune was actually asking her to do something. She bowed her head, wishing she knew what his true form was as it would make her decision so much easier. She wanted to believe he could handle anything Morioka might try to do.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at Morioka.

“Well… I’m like Tsukune. I have no idea where the computer lab is.”

He smirked.

“It’s in Class 4-13. We can walk most the way together if you need it.”

She knew the Infirmary was in the same upper hall as other rooms marked first with the number four.

“No, it’s fine. It’s that way, right?”

“Good. Come along, Tsukune.”

She did not like the way this guy was using Tsukune’s name. She could tell by their first couple steps that Morioka planned to go the opposite direction. Following them would be tough.

She hurried down the long hall that connected the two school wings to the central estate. Once she reached the intersecting hallway, she ducked around and pressed up to the wall. Glancing around the corner, she watched the two boys reach the stairway at the far end of the hall.

If he scolded her for not trusting him, she would gladly take any punishment he dished out. Watching the boys start their descent, Kurumu slipped back into the long hall and hurried to the stairway at the opposing end. She hoped they would not notice her as she bounced down the stairs.

She arrived at the bottom of her flight of stairs, catching a glimpse of the boys slipping out the exit door at the far side. It was a very long walk down this hall and there were still other students milling about. She had to wonder what Morioka needed outside. If he truly had found something out regarding the missing girls… was he seriously going to bring Tsukune to the scene of a crime? That felt irresponsible. Any member of the faculty would make more sense as a companion.

She had to hurry. If they were wandering out into the woods, she would lose them quickly. She knew she risked exposure if she went outside as there was almost no cover out on the school grounds. But there was no way she could safely follow them from inside since most of the halls were centered between classrooms.

She finally reached the far door, pressing gently against it. She peered out the glass panes, seeing no signs of the pair in the direction of the woods. Gnawing on her lower lip, she pushed the door open and slipped outside.

Her heart sank a moment as she wildly glanced about. The walk to the woods was notably shorter than the distance she had covered. She knew she should have ran, but being stopped by a teacher would have only made things worse.

The distant sounds of aluminum bats drew her attention and she felt so much relief. The pair were quite a ways down the building, Morioka gesturing and carrying on an unheard conversation. Kurumu pressed up close to the wall as she slinked towards them, though she knew it would not help. If either of them turned around, she had no place to hide.

They drifted around the far corner with no hint of awareness. Guessing the two were headed to the athletic fields, Kurumu picked up her pace. She was almost at a full sprint, her breasts heaving with labored breaths when she reached the other door at the end of the building.

She peered around the corner, noting the boys were still walking along the exterior of the building. They were almost to the next corner that cut in closer to the large gym. Taking a deep breath, she darted from cover in a beeline for the boxes stacked up on the covered patio where the workers brought things in for the kitchen.

Morioka was a strange guy. It did not seem like he was headed for the nearest storage building with how close they were hovering to the school. If he had found something far out in the woods, he would have veered out to avoid the massive track. She supposed he had offered to walk with her, so it might easily be something on the other side of the building.

She had her doubts about him finding any clues about the missing girls, despite his casual warning. She wanted to believe he had enough common sense to involve the faculty. She cautiously made her way to the next corner, having lost sight of the boys once again.

Pressing her breasts against the cool masonry, she peeked down the field. Morioka was casually standing near the end of the building while Tsukune was getting up on a box. The president was gesturing and conversing.

Kurumu frowned. What was Tsukune doing? She knew there was a couple storage rooms at the far end of the gym, but they were too far down the building for that. Those looked like the narrow windows for the locker room.

Kurumu grimaced when Tsukune cried out. Morioka was grinning, having drawn out a camera and brandishing it at a surprised Tsukune. In seconds several squeals of alarm sounded from the girl's locker room and Morioka bolted from the scene with amazing speed.

The smug look on his face as their eyes briefly met told her everything. The only thing more confusing was how he did not stagger even in the slightest, despite how potent her charm could be. Morioka rushed by her without a second glance, clearly intent on leaving Tsukune to the fate of an angry mob.

Clenching her fists, Kurumu turned and gave pursuit. She hoped Tsukune could take care of himself. Right now, she had to take care of Morioka. This crap could not continue, even if he was trying to win Moka over. He would either listen to reason, or have it handed to him.

But damn, this guy was fast. He had already disappeared around the corner before she could reach full speed. She was fairly certain he would duck back inside the school at the first opportunity.

Running out wide in a circle, she took a cursory glance about before angling back in to the doorway. She ran so hard it almost hurt to breathe, but she knew she had no time to waste if she was to catch this guy. She hit the door with a bit of force, pausing to swallow and yank the portal open.

There was nobody in the hall. She kicked up her feet into a light jog, worried she had completely lost him. He might have ducked into one of the classrooms, knowing she would pursue. She would have to check each one.

She threw open the door of the first science lab. Knowing he could be hiding anywhere in these dark rooms, she darted in without a thought. Her shins struck against something solid and she tumbled to the floor. Her hands hit the unforgiving tiles, but her momentum carried her over, barely turning her face in time to avoid crushing her nose. Groaning, she slowly picked herself up to the sound of laughter and the door closing.

“You don't know when to quit, do you? You really should learn not to question good fortune.”

She scowled as she lifted up on her hands and knees. She threw a glare over her shoulder, but Morioka was calmly standing there with his hands in his pockets and his head pointedly turned aside.

“You know, that's a nice look for you. It has a primal feel to it, don't you think.”

Snarling, Kurumu got to her feet. She shook her hands, her fingers extending into razor points.

“I told you to leave Tsukune alone!”

Morioka laughed.

“I only took him out there to take a couple pictures. It's not my fault he freaked out and made such a fuss over things.”

He was not looking at her. She would have to do this the hard way. Maybe if she broke an arm, he would finally take this seriously. Decisively, she lunged at his side, thrusting her hand out with enough force to pierce flesh and shatter bone.

Her fingers knifed right through the cinder block. Before she could recover, something firmly slammed up against the back of her neck, forcing her hard up against the wall. The weight of his body leaned heavily across her torso.

“You'll have to be much more serious in this school, little lady, if you want to survive.”

He jarred her up against the wall, her cheek stinging from the scrape. She flailed with her free hand, slapping at his side ineffectively.

“Let me go!”

Morioka snorted.

“Why? So you can try another lame attack?”

Kurumu lifted her hand up the wall. With a though she turned her wrist and stabbed behind her head. There was a mild sound of alarm, but almost instantly her forearm was caught and pressed rather uncomfortably against the back of her head. She cried in frustration.

“Damn. Are you trying to kill me?”

“Let me go!”

Morioka laughed as he pressed up against her, his breath tickling her ear.

“I thought you could make me do what you want.”

Kurumu considered whipping her wings out to force this guy off her, but that would destroy another uniform. She simply did not have the resources to ruin another outfit. She whimpered, wiggling her arm as she tried to free her hand that was stuck in the stone.

“Please. Let me go.”

“Not so tough without your charms. I told you not to interfere. What do I have to do to make you behave?”

He grabbed her elbow, preventing her from freeing her hand. Doubting she could escape, she took a deep breath. She had to think clearly. If he had wanted to kill her, he would have done it by now.

“Please, stop. If you don't let me go, I'll keep screaming for help till someone comes.”

Morioka snorted. He pressed her harder against the wall.

“You seem so certain that I wouldn't kill you if you tried. You know how fast I am. By the time someone got here, you'd be nothing but a blood smear across the wall.”

Kurumu shuddered at the thought that maybe he wanted to play with her first before finishing her. Then it dawned on her.

“It was you! You're the one behind those missing girls!”

“What?!”

“Don't deny it. You're the killer!”

Morioka laughed but his grip did not lessen.

“Boy are you a terrible judge of character. You've read one too many mystery novels if you think the investigator is the criminal.”

Kurumu whimpered.

“Then let me go, you jerk.”

“What sort of idiot do you think I am? You tried to kill me. Twice.”

Kurumu was done trying to reason with him. She relaxed her body slightly, letting her tail slip out slowly till she could feel the floor. Swallowing, she eased it over and loosely coiled it about his left ankle.

“What th-?”

She yanked hard, taking the startled Morioka off his feet. With his weight gone, she quickly stepped back from the wall and regarded the boy on the floor. She figured she could pull her hand out of the wall after she charmed the fuck out of him.

Morioka groaned, rolling onto his belly. He clambered up onto his knees, holding a palm over his face and the other out at her.

“Okay, okay, I'll yield. I was starting to wonder if you would bring the tail and wings out.”

She scowled, realizing he was not going to make eye contact.

“It's over, Morioka. I'm going to convince everyone to quit your stupid club. I… uh…”

She shuddered as a heavy flood of desire poured into her. It was very similar to yesterday. She staggered as a second wave crashed through her, making it hard to breathe. She panted as this lust refused to diminish.

Morioka laughed as he stood to his feet. With eyes deliberately closed, he rocked his head about his shoulders as if to loosen up. Smoothing out the sleeves of his jacket, he grinned as he placed his hands behind his head.

“What… ugh…”

What the hell was happening? Her whole body was trembling as this torrent pummeled against her senses. He was… in his mind?

“Not possible.”

Morioka chuckled. The desire receded as his thoughts focused elsewhere.

“I was doing a bit of research on your kind, and it seems like you feed on any affections directed upon you. Considering your response yesterday in the gym, I think I fully grasp what that means.”

In desperation, Kurumu mustered the strength to pry her fingers out of the wall. She prepared to lunge at him, but stumbled back as he slammed her with another wall of lecherous intent.

“I wonder if I can make you orgasm if I think hard enough about it. I particularly enjoy the image of you and Moka together, scantily clad. Her tongue invading your most sensitive places.”

The sheer amount of lust this boy was directing at her was only intensifying as he envisioned wicked things in his perverted head. She whimpered, angry at this exploitation. If the fucker would open his eyes, she could end this. But if this kept up much longer, she knew her body would betray her.

It was him! The only way he could think so clearly about such sexual things was if it was him. No other person could possibly imagine such a clear image of her and Moka. She had long considered the fact that her admirer had to be an upper classman since the freshmen boys shared the same gym hour and would be too busy getting dressed. This bastard was her secret admirer.

With staggered breaths, she took a step towards him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized how moist with arousal he had forced her to become.

“I… I'll kill you. Stop! Please!”

Morioka scowled, the pleasure cutting off so sharply that Kurumu fell to her knees gasping. She looked up at his serious face, knowing at any second he would open his eyes.

“This isn't fun anymore.”

In a blink of an eye, Morioka was gone. She only sensed him at her side an instant before a heavy hand struck her in the back of her head. She did not even feel the floor before losing awareness.

* * *

It was dark. Kurumu frowned up at the ceiling confused. She winced, bringing her hand up to touch at the side of her head, feeling the swollen, aching knot beneath her hair. Groaning, she rolled onto her side.

She quickly realized she had retained most of her human form. The blow had knocked her out so quickly that it had been more like a hard sleep than a loss of concentration. Since her tail had been out, it had subconsciously wrapped about her calf as it always did when she slept.

It was very quiet. She glanced at her wrist, but it was too dark. Grunting, she crawled up onto her knees. Using the wall, she got to her feet. Slowly she opened the door and stumbled out into the hallway.

As her eyes adjusted for the light, she finally confirmed it was nearly eight. She had been out for almost three hours and nobody had noticed her sprawled on the floor. That was mildly disturbing, considering the door had been unlocked.

Her heart lurched in fear and Kurumu quickly reached for her skirt. Before she fully panicked, she realized her panties were still on. She cupped herself, not feeling anything to suggest something awry. Calming down, she pulled back in her tail and wondered if she had simply rolled over onto her back in her sleep.

She scowled as she continued down the hall, wanting to come up with some sort of plan of revenge against Morioka. That bastard had left her helpless in a public place on a night only two days shy of a full moon. If she had not held enough fuel to convince the others to quit before, she certainly hoped she did now.

Thinking of which, she wondered what had happened to them all. Tsukune was probably hiding somewhere to avoid the wrath of the sports girls he had startled. As for the other two, she imagined Morioka had likely come up with some lie to explain her absence. She swore if Moka was hanging with that guy right now, she would scold the vampire for trusting such a creep.

The school was rather creepy at night. There were so many dark shadows for enemies to lurk. Still, Kurumu knew she would feel most before they could do anything to her. Technically she had nothing to fear, but it did not make her feel any better.

She walked up the stairway nearest to the bathrooms, intent on returning to her classroom. There was nobody here. Most of the club activities wrapped up within an hour and a half after the last bell. Hell, by now the dining hall was likely closing down the dinner service. She would have to pick up some snack things to tide her over till morning.

Reaching the top of the stairs, she touched her breast with a mild sigh. She felt lonely and abandoned, which only agitated the slight ache already buried in her core. Surely someone would have noticed her things left in the classroom and stuck around.

The empty classroom crushed her. She slowly walked along the back row, wondering if her schoolbag was still here. Sure enough, it was. Her throat tightened as she struggled to not cry. How could they leave her like this? Twice! Had they not noticed when they came for their things?

With a glance, Kurumu’s sadness dispersed in a swirl of confusion. Moka’s schoolbag was here. Tsukune’s too. She looked about the class wildly, wondering what was going on. Had something happened to them? There was no way Moka would ever leave her bag here all weekend. And it was almost eight which was so close to the time the girl would turn in for the night. No, something clearly had happened and she needed to find them. Leaving her things, Kurumu hurried back out of the classroom.

She had not managed but three steps into the hall before she paused at the sight of a familiar figure in the hall. She frowned, quickly recognizing Genzouyaki but confused as to why the girl was here.

The girl with the offside ponytail hesitated, tilting her head slightly as she regarded Kurumu. Her eyes sparkled with countless white dots in a dark iris so deep. Genzouyaki offered a slight smile as she resumed walking, slipping by Kurumu into the class.

“Genzouyaki?”

The girl came back into the hall a couple seconds later, holding her schoolbag.

“Hmm?”

“Um… did you see my friends? Akashiya?”

Genzouyaki nodded, pointing up.

“We were talking on the roof.”

Kurumu wondered why Moka would be up there of all places, but supposed it did not matter.

“Is Tsukune with her?”

The girl frowned.

“He was not. I heard he was caught peeping in the girls’ locker room.”

Kurumu scowled, clenching her fists. She was going to kill Morioka.

“So what happened to him? His things were still in the class.”

Genzouyaki shrugged, glancing back at the room.

“I’m not sure. Ms. Akashiya said she was waiting for him.”

“On the roof?”

“Yes.”

That made no sense. Kurumu shook her head.

“What is that girl thinking? Why would he go looking for her there?”

Genzouyaki laughed, waving her hand dismissively.

“Oh, no, you misunderstand. She wasn’t waiting up there.”

“But you just said-“

“She was here in class when I came to get my things after my club. She looked a little down, so I invited her to come up to the roof with me.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“I sort of lost track of the time, but it is a very pretty night. You should go up there and have a look. I’m sure she will still be there.”

Kurumu shrugged, not really caring. She still had no idea where Tsukune was, which was much more important than idle banter.

“How did you hear about Tsukune peeping at girls? Was it some dark haired senior with a headband?”

The girl pursed her lips.

“Some of the girls were complaining about Mr. Aono, saying he got what he deserved. I figured he was why Ms. Akashiya was feeling down, so I did not talk about him.”

Kurumu sighed, realizing this was pointless. She deduced that something must have happened to him, but it was difficult to say what the girls would have done with a captive criminal. It was tough to swallow that her beloved could not even get himself out of that mess.

“I’m going to go look for him.”

Kurumu looked the girl over and had a moment of concern.

“Will you be okay?”

“Hmm?”

“You should stay with Moka. It’s pretty late.”

The girl frowned, glancing back at the class.

“No, I think I’ve been here too long. I need to get out and stretch my legs.”

“But… will you be okay walking home alone? It’s not the safest of nights.”

The girl giggled, waving a hand dismissively. Her eyes sparkled as she regarded Kurumu warmly.

“Oh, I doubt anyone could catch me on a night like this. Good night, Ms. Kurono.”

Gnawing on her lip, Kurumu nodded to the girl and turned away. She hurried back down the hall, trying to think of what a bunch of angry girls would think a peeper deserved. Considering the school rules, she doubted they would kill him.

The most distressing fact was how he had not returned for his things. This suggested he was incapacitated somewhere, much like she had been. She doubted a teacher had been involved, since he surely would have been scolded by the faculty and sent home with his things. This meant that whatever the girls had done, they had did it quickly and put Tsukune somewhere where a teacher would not find him.

Kurumu hurried back down the stairs and ran to the exterior door. Knowing his aggressors had all been girls from different sports clubs, she figured he would have to be in a place they had easy access to. The storage closet for the equipment was the first place that came to mind.

It fit all the criteria. The coaches normally left clean up duties to the students, so short of Tsukune yelling, it was doubtful any of the faculty would have known he was locked up in there. If they had beaten him unconscious, it was possible he would not be found until Monday morning.

It also would explain why he had not returned for his things. Even if he was conscious, Kurumu knew firsthand that some doors could not be opened from the inside. Short of destroying school property, the only thing that could be done was wait around for a kind soul to open the door.

Before she even reached the building near the track bleachers, she could hear his voice and the pounding on a metal door. She picked up her pace as she ran across the open field, quickly closing in.

“Hey! Anyone! Help! I’m locked in here!”

Kurumu felt so much relief at the sound of his voice.

“Tsukune!”

“Kurumu?”

The cruel bitches had padlocked the latch to the sliding door. Fuck it, they can buy another one. She slipped her finger inside the small space between the lock and latch, willing her digit to sharpen into a talon. Grimacing with discomfort, she yanked her hand down, busting the lock off.

Shaking her hand, she pushed the slug out of the hole. As the broken lock tumbled to the ground, she pushed up on the latch and pulled the door aside on its track. The latch fell back down once it was clear of the portion of the jamb it hooked over. This was why the door could not be opened from the inside, since it was impossible to accidentally lock yourself in such a room.

“Kurumu, thank goodness. We have to find Moka.”

Looking him over, Kurumu nearly cried. His right eye was blackened and his lip was busted open. A trail of blood streaked down from his right nostril, fattening out at the side of his chin. He was gripping his left arm, clearly in pain as he staggered out of the room.

He was missing his jacket and his long sleeved shirt had splotches of dirt and was torn in random places. His top two buttons were missing and the left side was not tucked in. His khakis seemed unaffected, though there was no telling how much damage was hidden from view.

He staggered off to the side. He turned his back to her as he started away.

“We have to stop him.”

Kurumu caught him in her arms, pressing up against his back. She felt him stiffen as she gripped her wrist with her palm pressed to his belly. She rested her head against the hollow between his shoulder blades, breathing deeply. The lovely scent of this afternoon was gone, replaced with the hints of blood, sweat and grime.

“Kurumu?”

“I’m sorry.”

She swallowed thickly, her heart hurting. This was her fault. She could have stopped those girls. She could have spared him this pain. She was such an idiot. She sniffled, rubbing her tears on his back as she tried to hold them back.

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

“Kurumu. I…”

She felt his hands on hers, gently tugging. She sobbed, clinging tighter to him. She could not let him go now. Not after what she had done. She should have known they would hurt him badly. She should have made certain he had been safe before chasing Morioka. She was a terrible girlfriend.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I’m sorry.”

“Please, Kurumu. Please. It’s okay.”

His firm grip on her wrists was reassuring. She relaxed her hold, allowing him to slip free and turn around. She could not look at him, sniffling as she regarded her small hands in his. There was a wide, purplish welt across his forearm just below his wrist. They had beaten him.

“It’s okay.”

His hand lifted, brushing her bangs back as his fingers touched lightly across her head. She winced at the unexpected gesture, but the feeling she felt pouring into her was so different, so calming. She swallowed as he repeated the gesture, her body no longer shaking with guilt.

“I’m okay.”

She glanced up and saw his forced smile. She would not meet his gaze.

“No, you’re not.”

He winced as he lifted his left hand, gingerly placing it on her shoulder. He took a deep breath and smiled again, letting his other hand rest gently against her cheek.

“I’ll be fine. But we have to stop, Morioka. He is after Moka.”

Please, forgive me.

Kurumu grabbed his wrist, causing him to stiffen and withdraw his hand on her shoulder. She turned her head slightly, pressing her lips to his palm. She had never felt so strongly about a kiss before, letting her mouth hover against his skin, tasting the bitterness of dirt and salt. She wished the moment would last.

“Kurumu?”

“I… love you.”

Closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek against his palm. She timidly moved her other hand beneath her sweater, feeling for the blouse beneath. Grabbing a handful of fabric, she tugged it free of the skirt’s waistline.

“Kurumu, we have to warn Moka. I don’t know what Morioka is planning.”

Taking a deep breath, Kurumu let go of his wrist. She grabbed the hem of her sweater in both hands, and pulled it up over her head.

“Kurumu!”

She smiled at the sudden rush of hunger from him, though she would feel terrible doing anything with him while he was so injured. She thrust the sweater out at him.

“Hold this. I think I know where she is, and you don’t want to waste any time, right?”

“Uh… okay.”

Once he had her sweater in hand, she quickly started unfastening the buttons of her shirt. He stammered out an unintelligible protest, to which she only giggled, shaking her head. It felt so lovely with him wanting her, though her only real motive was to avoid destroying another uniform.

“I’m going to fly, Tsukune. Besides, you’ve seen me in my swimsuit before.”

“But a swimsuit and lingerie are entirely different things!”

Kurumu giggled, slipping out of her jacket and folding it nicely. Draping it over her forearm, she cupped her tits and jiggled them with a laugh.

“Are you kidding? My swimsuit is sexier than this plain old white thing.”

Tsukune averted his gaze, covering his mouth and nose.

“It’s different.”

Kurumu grinned, feeling very good about being so easily forgiven. The fact that his hunger for her only increased with proximity was a welcome bonus. She stepped closer, handing over her blouse.

“I do love you, Tsukune. I promise not to let you get hurt again.”

He swallowed, clutching her clothes tighter to his chest.

“We… we should hurry.”

She smiled.

“Yes. So, how do you want to do this? It’s probably safest if I take you from behind.”

His gagged response confused her. She took in the sudden flow of desire, touching her breast fondly as she tried to fathom what it was he suddenly found arousing.

“Can… can we just go?!”

She nodded, quickly stepping around him. She sighed as she let her wings tear out her back, her tail snaking back out to curl around her ankle. Grabbing him by the sides, she pumped her wings once. With his weight resting in her arms, she kicked off the side of the building so that she could fully spread her wings in the night sky.

He squirmed a moment in her grasp as they lifted far off the ground. His grip firmed about her forearm as he settled comfortably in her arms, his other arm clutching her clothes and resting over her slender limb.

It did not take long to arrow across the field to the school buildings. She could see two figures facing off on the roof. The long flowing hair certainly looked like it would belong to Moka. The other form was large, feral and threatening. No matter what was going on, it looked like Moka was in trouble.

In a flash, the beast darted across the roof, tearing through the railing with its claws an instant after the girl dove aside. A long bushy tail wagged as the monster turned slowly upon the scrambling girl. The lips on the gray muzzle drew back, baring black gums and white fangs. The beast took a menacing step towards the girl, its black claws shining in the bright moonlight.

“Playing hard to get? I love it!”

The voice was unmistakable. His speed was invincible. Fear gripped her heart as she realized they could not win this fight. They had to run.

“A werewolf!”

“Bring me close to Moka! I have to remove the seal!”

“It won’t matter, Tsukune! A werewolf is on equal footing with a vampire!”

“Then bring us closer! We have to get her out of there!”

On that, she agreed. Kurumu darted through the sky over Morioka’s head. She could feel his perverse desire flood into her.

“Stupid girl! I told you to stay-!”

“Unh…”

He must have glimpsed her state of attire. That strong wanton lust exploded inside her, making flight impossible. Kurumu gasped as she fluttered desperately to slow her descent, but it was no use.

“Moka!”

Kurumu spun and threw Tsukune out, hoping the vampire would catch him. An instant later she crashed her shoulder against the roof surface. She bounced and rolled, her ankle striking first upon the railing before the barrier halted her whole body. She grimaced, unable to move while every bit of her body ached madly.

“Tsukune!”

Moka was calling for him. Kurumu grunted, picking herself up. She could see Tsukune had landed wide of Moka and was in no better shape than she was. He was struggling to get to his feet as the werewolf instantly closed in on his location.

“Tsukune!”

Moka dove in to sweep him up in her arms just as Morioka swiped a heavy palm against the boy's back. The couple flew across the roof under the force of the blow. The vampire’s body dented the railing as she slammed into the steel barrier.

“Did you see that, Moka?! The boy is unfit for you. He can’t even protect himself, let alone his woman.”

Grimacing, Moka extracted herself from the steel barrier. She pulled Tsukune back, the boy clearly unconscious. Her eyes were filled with concern.

“Tsukune! Tsukune!”

Tsukune’s legs gave out as he fell down her torso. His hand that had been draped over Moka’s shoulder came down, fingers catching at the jeweled pendant. Without even a pause in descent, the cross came off in his hand as he fell to the vampire’s feet.

Moka threw back her head as a sudden surge of power erupted from her core. The color of her hair drained to a pale white as her posture straightened into a battle stance. That terrifying aura washed out from her, causing Morioka to stagger back while the vampire retreated a couple steps from Tsukune, her crimson eyes calmly regarding her opponent.

“Tsukune.”

Kurumu whimpered, crawling away from the railing. She had to get to him. She had to protect him.

“So you truly are a vampire? Yes! Yes! I knew there was something special about you.”

The silver haired terror circled away from Tsukune, her eyes never leaving the werewolf. She smirked as she backed further away.

“Yes, you are familiar. I think I may have had a puppy once.”

Morioka growled at the remark, taking a step towards the vampire.

“I love it! Such power, such beauty! I want you even more!”

The vampire backed away more, lifting her hands in a ready stance. Glancing aside, she smirked. She backed away another step.

“Give a sleepy girl another second. I’m not ready to play with you yet.”

Morioka glanced down at Tsukune. The werewolf threw back his head and laughed.

“I get it now!”

The werewolf sneered, taking another step away from Tsukune.

“I didn’t understand it before, since there was no way the timid Moka I knew could be a fearsome vampire. But now I understand.”

The vampire smirked, backing away another step. She was going to run out of room to fight if she kept this up.

“I highly doubt a cur like you understands anything.”

And then Kurumu understood. She was drawing Morioka away from Tsukune. Kurumu whimpered as she crawled faster towards Tsukune, hoping the werewolf was too preoccupied to concern himself with her.

“So feisty too! You’re mine!”

Kurumu cried out as the beast lunged for Moka. Moka braced herself and at the last possible moment, she snapped her leg up through the air at the descending opponent. Her kick swept cleanly across nothing, causing her to stagger off balance as the werewolf laughed with confidence several paces to her right.

“Lovely panties, Moka! I’m so glad you felt like showing them!”

The vampire scowled, turning sharply to face him.

“You can't win a fight if you are only good at dodging.”

Morioka’s lips pulled back in a sneer.

“Strength means nothing if you can’t hit your target!”

Kurumu reached Tsukune, grabbing him by the shoulder. He groaned, his hand clutching the cross pendant tightly. She mildly wondered where her uniform had fallen as she pulled him further up into her lap.

“I only need to hit you once.”

The werewolf darting in faster than Kurumu could think. For the first time ever, Kurumu saw concern in those blood red eyes. The vampire flailed wildly with kicks and fists into the blur of motion, wincing at the sound of torn fabric. In seconds, Morioka stood comfortably out of reach, laughing while the vampire stood panting with her green jacket ripped in jagged lines.

“You can’t defeat me, Vampire. Submit and be my woman!”

The vampire took a deep breath. She glanced up at the sky. Reaching up, she slipped off her tattered jacket, tossing it aside. She rolled her shoulders and favored Morioka with a confident smirk.

“I'll admit you are quick, noisome mutt. But you'll never defeat me if you don't start to take this seriously. Prove that your bite is as good as your bark, puppy.”

“So you want to play rough. Remember that you asked for it!”

The vampire grimaced as he darted in faster than the blink of an eye. The vampire swung through empty air as a jagged, bloody tear opened up her side. She turned about with the blow, throwing her foot up wide for a vicious roundhouse that the werewolf easily dodged under. Her inner thigh sliced open with a gout of blood, causing her to collapse to her knee.

Moka desperately jabbed at her opponent but the werewolf struck her squarely in the chest, knocking her flat on her back. Kurumu cried out as Morioka pounced towards the fallen vampire. But the werewolf contorted and sprung clear of the wild swing Moka threw out to intercept him.

Snickering, Morioka circled the vampire, allowing the girl to slowly get back to her feet.

“Had enough yet? You should realize by now that on a night with the moon as bright as this, I am unstoppable.”

Moka winced, holding her side and favoring her left leg. Blood dripped down her knee and calf, staining her white socks. She favored him with a weak smile.

“You'll not win this fight unless you are willing to kill me.”

The vampire smirked, glancing up at the sky once more. She slowly began to unfasten her buttons, obviously intent on removing her blouse.

Morioka chortled with glee.

“Aw, you shouldn’t have! Normally a girl waits a couple weeks before giving her boyfriend a strip show.”

Kurumu could not believe this. Was the vampire seriously going to fight in the nude? What if Tsukune woke up? She could not allow this to continue any further.

“Stop it! Moka, stop!”

The vampire closed her eyes, finishing up with her task. Grabbing the cuff at one wrist, she tugged her arm free and then did the same for the other. Clothed in only a torn skirt and a cotton white bra, the vampire discarded her blouse and regarded her opponent.

“Yes, yes! Take it off! The skirt next!”

With another glance to the sky, the vampire smirked. Settling into a stance that put most of her weight on her right foot, she lowered one hand low and held the other palm out. She gestured for him.

“See if you can take it off yourself.”

Morioka laughed. He lunged for the vampire, slashing his claws downward.

Moka snatched down like a viper, her hand crushing down on his shoulder.

“What?!”

The night grew darker. Kurumu glanced back over her shoulder, noting a large cloud drifting across the moon. With each heartbeat, the luminescence diminished.

Morioka growled in pain, unable to move the arm caught in Moka's grip. He drew back his free hand, curling his claws into a massive fist.

“That's impossible! I can still win this fight!”

“I already told you.”

Moka threw her arm up hard, releasing him. The force was such that the werewolf staggered. Continuing with the motion, Moka threw all her weight onto the injured leg as she whipped her back leg about in a crushing arc. Her foot connected solidly against the side of his chin, throwing the werewolf across the roof and into the railing.

“I only need to hit you once.”

The railing bent wickedly under his weight, leaning outwards. Morioka rolled with the impact, though it sent him clear over the rail. He swiped a hand for the steel but came up empty, howling as he plummeted to the ground.

Moka stalked back over to her discarded jacket. She frowned, picking up the bloodied garments. She sighed, shaking it out before slipping it back on.

As the vampire dressed, Kurumu realized that the whole thing had been an intentional effort to stall for time. She lowered her head as the vampire approached, obviously intent on retrieving her seal.

“Silly girl.”

Kurumu shrugged, unwilling to move from Tsukune's side.

“I'm sorry.”

“Not you.”

The vampire knelt down on her haunches and snatched the pendant from Tsukune's hand. He groaned, vainly reaching out for it.

“As for you… couldn't you do better?”

The remark angered Kurumu. She clutched tighter to Tsukune, regarding the vampire defiantly.

“I love Tsukune.”

The vampire snorted, glancing aside.

“I meant the opponent. At least find me a man with more stamina.”

Kurumu scowled.

“He's a werewolf on a night with nearly a full moon! How much stronger of an opponent do you want?!”

The vampire chuckled. Closing her eyes, she returned the pendant to its place on the chain dangling from the collar about her neck. That terrifying power diminished rapidly as the color returned to her hair. With a sigh, Moka pitched to the side across Tsukune's midsection.

Kurumu scowled as Moka started to breathe softly, possibly asleep. She had no idea what the other Moka had been thinking, but there was no way Kurumu was carrying both of them home tonight.


	13. Laundry and Letters

Today would be the day of commitment. Feeling excited and anxious, Kurumu held up both her fists as she regarded Chikara. She had struggled with sleep all night since the idea had crossed her mind. Now the moment of truth was finally upon her.

It was fairly early in the morning, but by doing this she hoped to maximize her alone time. If she waited even an hour, Moka might be around and then he would never say the things she wanted to hear him say. Certainly if she had him all to herself, he would do something that would prove they were a couple. Her determination recharged, Kurumu picked up her black, wicker hamper and continued her approach.

It had been very late last night when she had turned in. Unable to carry two dead weights, Kurumu had waited until Moka woke up before attempting to fly her friends back to the dorms. Moka had insisted on getting their things first, so by the time the vampire had returned, Tsukune had also come to.

There had been no sign of Morioka. The jerk had probably slipped off at some point with his tail tucked between his legs. She had to wonder what sort of explanation he would offer when their paths crossed again.

The flight home had been quiet, considering they were exhausted and injured. Though she had been hungry, she understood why Tsukune and Moka opted to simply turn in for the night. Not wanting to eat alone, she had did the same, but not before noticing something that had inspired her.

With it being the end of the week, her hamper was full of soiled clothes. Thinking she would have to take care of that today, Kurumu realized it was a perfect opportunity to become closer to Tsukune. Surely he would also have some laundry she could do for him. Figuring if she had to waste an hour or so of her life doing this mundane chore, she should do it with Tsukune. After all, this was the sort of thing married couples would do.

Wanting to make this a special occasion, she was sporting her customized denim shorts. While this meant she was walking about with her tail curled about her calf, it was so early that witnesses would be few. And she really did not care anymore considering how many already knew.

She started circling about the building, having her doubts about carrying everything up the stairs. Sure, she could get up there, but she had no idea how long she would be knocking on that door to be let in. This was why she had already decided to fly up to his window.

The canary shirt hugged about her torso snugger than she recalled. She almost did not need the small loop of fabric that slipped around her neck for additional support. She hoped this was a matter of shrinkage, though this shirt probably was as old as her poorly departed swimsuit. She sighed, wishing she had the resources to update her wardrobe.

Thinking of money almost made her cry. They were going to run off to this great place to go shopping, and she would have to settle for watching. What little money she did have should be spent on a uniform to replace the one Moka destroyed.

Kurumu stopped about where she needed to be. She regarded those small slits the dorm called windows, a little worried she would not be able to get the hamper through such a narrow opening. Setting her burden down, Kurumu let her wings spread out. It would be the fourth one on the fourth floor. With a strong pump, she lifted off the ground towards her destination.

Each recessed window had a tiny ledge. She carefully lifted herself till she timidly gripped the polished surface. Letting her wings relax, she crawled up onto the narrow crevasse, barely able to get both knees on the smooth plane. Ducking her head to best fit in the tiny space, she knocked briskly on the top glass pane.

Her heart started to flutter, watching the still figure beneath the blankets. She distinctly recalled one of her mother's sleazy movies that had involved a girl slipping in through the window out of the pouring rain. Like all those films, things quickly turned steamy when the thoughtful stranger had the girl get out of those wet clothes before she would get sick. It was a shame the clouds in the sky were not willing to work with her.

“Tsukune? Tsukune?”

Despite being so narrow, the window was a double pane with a bottom half that slid up. She could see the latches at the base of the frame holding the window shut, though she doubted those would hold if she really wanted in. She wondered if she could slip the hamper through the opening. It looked about the right size.

She tapped on the window again.

“Tsukune? Tsukune?”

She wondered if he was extra tired, since he was recovering from injuries. Not wanting to waste too much time, Kurumu felt for the seam where the pane rested on the frame.

Keeping her thumb on the border that held the glass in place, she knifed two fingers through the wooden frame. She jerked her fingers slightly to the side, popping one of the latches off. Withdrawing her fingers, she lowered her other hand to do the same to the second restraint. Pressing both hands to the glass, she pushed the window pane up. She quickly spied a small bar on the inside sill. Grabbing it, she wedged it vertically inside the track to hold the pane up.

“Tsukune? Hey, Tsukune!”

He groaned in response.

Frowning, Kurumu twisted and contorted in the small space till her hand touched the back of her foot. Carefully she slipped off her shoe, wiggling back to her comfortable position. Gauging the distance, she chucked the black loafer at the lump in the sheets. Kurumu winced and covered her mouth as the missile struck rather loudly against her target.

He groaned, rustling the sheets before rolling over onto his back. His body bared, Tsukune absently rubbed his head. While the white tee failed to impress her, the midnight blue, knit boxers held something notable that had Kurumu trying to settle her mischievous heart.

“Tsukune. I have another shoe.”

Groaning, Tsukune kicked free of his blankets and slowly picked himself up from his matting. Wincing, he rolled his left shoulder in a pained attempt to loosen his arm.

“Kurumu?”

She glanced over him, noting he was still very banged up. The bruise about his eye looked even darker than it had last night and his attire betrayed many similar injuries she had not seen before. It apparently had been so much worse than she had thought for him to still be in such bad shape.

“Are… are you feeling better?”

“Oh. Just a bit stiff.”

Kurumu nodded, regarding his arm.

“I can tell.”

An inexplicable surge of desire washed over her. It was not overwhelming, though confusing. She frowned as he promptly turned away.

“Give me a moment.”

He hurried to his door, throwing back the bolts. Ducking out of the room, his footsteps quickly carried him down the hall.

Unsure what that was all about, Kurumu slipped out of the recess after a couple moments passed. Thinking she should maximize her time, she pushed off the wall. She angled her wings appropriately, flapping only to slow her gliding descent. Hitting the ground at a slight run, she circled about to sweep up the hamper in her arms before lifting back up into the air.

“Kurumu?”

She laughed as she returned right before he stuck his head out the opening. Gently she lifted the bottom of the hamper till she could feel its weight brush across the window ledge. Tilting the container and holding the top lid shut, she scooted it inwards while doing her best to hover, which took so many more beats of her wings than normal flight.

“What are you doing?”

“Laundry.”

“Why don't you take it around to the side door?”

“I already have it here. Do you have it?”

“Huh? You want me to hold it.”

“Help me get in the right position.”

Kurumu lowered the hamper completely on its side, feeling the weight shift as clothes settled within its confines. She could feel it jostle at the far end as Tsukune reluctantly helped it up over the jamb.

“It's too big. There's no way we're getting this through here.”

Kurumu glanced it over, actually feeling much better about success now that she could see it.

“Hey, it may look like a tight fit, but I'm sure with a bit of effort it will go in.”

She nearly lost her hold as another startling wave of desire coursed through her. She grunted, beating her wings madly to regain her slight loss of altitude. She could only guess what he was thinking, but it probably had something to do with her panties.

“It's just my clothes, Tsukune. Calm down.”

“Uh… huh?”

Shaking her head, Kurumu leaned in against the top of the hamper as she slapped her wings back. She heard a slight crackle as something gave way but it was working. In a matter of seconds, she had pushed the hamper entirely into the room.

Settling back into the recess, Kurumu sighed and drew in her tired wings. Gripping the frame with one hand, she held her other hand to her chest as she breathed deeply in an attempt to steady her labored heart. It certainly did not help matters that he was still pouring a healthy amount of desire into her. She was so happy she had decided to come.

“I was… a little worried… it wouldn't fit. That really took a lot out of me.”

“Could we please talk about something else?”

Kurumu giggled, unsure why he was so flush, hot and bothered. With a glance, she noted the frame looked none the worse for the wear. Her hamper had taken quite the crushing, but it did not look like it was outright broken. Feeling a bit stupid at having forced the issue, she scooted her legs out in front of her, slipping them both through the narrow opening.

“Help me in?”

“Wait! Kurumu!”

Kurumu laughed as she turned a bit on her side since the window was far too narrow for her to slip through on her back. It was slightly uncomfortable to wiggle her ass through that tiny space, but she managed. Pushing further into the room, she kicked her feet about in search of something to touch down upon.

“I'm too short. Come on, Tsukune. Grab me.”

“Hold on. Wait. I don't think this is going to work.”

She grunted, not daring to wiggle any further into the room without something beneath her feet. She grimaced as the wooden frame bit uncomfortably in her side. She wagged her feet.

“Just grab me.”

She felt so much better once his hands gingerly touched the back of her thighs. There was a slight stumble and something solid smacked against her rump, startling her.

“Hey!”

“Sorry! Tripped. Um… where am I supposed to be grabbing?”

While Kurumu certainly enjoyed his hands on her thighs, it really was not giving her comfortable leverage.

“I… just push up some. I need the weight off my hands.”

“Can you even get through it?”

Kurumu snorted as she felt him push up on her thighs. Lifting up off the jamb, she wiggled further into the room till she felt very uncomfortable. Grimacing, she lifted one hand off the sill to squish her tit, but it was not going to be enough. Scowling she tried to push harder.

“Are you okay?”

Kurumu laughed, so frustrated. Twisting fully on her side, she reached through the opening with her free hand and tried to push. She whimpered as all this rubbing was starting to make her tits tingle with arousal.

“I got that thing through and can't get myself?”

“I was thinking that might happen. You tore that up pretty good forcing that through.”

Kurumu relaxed, still enjoying the feel of his warm hands on her thighs. After all this, she was going to have to fly around to the side door. Now she felt very stupid for damaging her hamper.

“Tsukune? I… I think I'm stuck. Could you push?”

It was a complete lie, but it felt really good simply having him think about it. She felt his gentle push on her thighs, which doubtfully would have helped had she really been in trouble.

“I barely felt that. Push it harder.”

This was so very delicious. Even though his hunger for her diminished slightly, his grip became far more firm. He had a good hold on her hip and gave her rump a lovely push. The added leverage made it all too easy to lift out and through the narrow opening.

With a bit of remorse, she felt his hands leave her. She wiggled back out, wincing as she jarred the base of her tail. Easing her legs back through, she turned about in the recess while rubbing her dinged tail.

“Hey… what happened to the locks on my window?”

Kurumu giggled, twisting till she was comfortably on her feet. She relaxed her wings back out as she favored him with a wry smile.

“Let me in through the door.”

Tsukune frowned, spared of an accidental charm as he had looked away at that moment to regard his door.

“And I've been meaning to ask about that. Did you put the hole in my door?”

“Maybe.”

After drawling that word out, Kurumu kicked off the ledge. Her wings were still tired, but it took her only a couple seconds to coast around the building and touch down on the landing next to the hallway door. It was nice that the stairs were open like this.

Pulling her wings back in, Kurumu approached the door. She peered down the hallway, waiting. Sighing, she tugged at the sides of her shirt to better cover her breasts, since it was the only thing keeping them covered. All her bras had shoulder straps, so wearing extra support with this sort of shirt looked stupid.

It took more than a minute, but Tsukune stepped out into the hallway. He had thrown on a pair of gray sweat pants. With a couple nervous looks about, he reached the door and pushed it open, gesturing for her to come inside.

She would never get used to this stench. Grimacing, she cupped her mouth and nose as she hurried down the hall, slightly ahead of Tsukune. She ducked through the door into his room, thankful that he quickly shut the door behind them as it slightly diminished the oppressive air.

“So… Kurumu.”

She ignored him as she quickly approached her hamper. She knelt down next to it, realizing how badly she had torn the poor thing up. The bottom frame had cracked, though thankfully most of the wicker wrapping had not splintered entirely through. It would still function, though it certainly was not nearly as pretty as it had been. She was such an idiot.

“Kurumu?”

Sighing, she picked up the hamper, noting the top frame had also suffered the same bending. At least it had not snapped cleanly through. Cradling her burden below her bosom, she glanced about his room.

“So… get your stuff.”

“Huh?”

“Your laundry.”

“But I-”

“You have laundry to do, right?”

“Well, yea.”

“Then gather it up. We can do our laundry together.”

Tsukune's cheeks flushed slightly as he nervously looked about.

“I, uh… hold on.”

Tsukune moved over to his closet, opening it. He pulled out a mesh sack that clearly had some clothes tucked inside it. Tsukune moved about the room, quickly picking up his discarded clothes from yesterday to stuff in his bag.

Kurumu smiled, having not really noticed the state of disarray. She moved out of his way as he finished the sweep of his room. Feeling inspired, she knelt down on the floor and started to fold up his sheet.

“Uh… you don't have to.”

“It's no trouble.”

She frowned as she noticed a dark stain on the sheet. She brought the fabric up to her nose, sniffing it before touching her tongue to it.

“What are you doing?”

She shrugged, aware that the stain was blood, likely from last night.

“We should wash your sheets too.”

He blushed, rubbing the back of his head.

“Uh… yea.”

Kurumu nodded, wadding up the sheet in her hands and tossing it into her hamper. She turned back to the matting, starting to roll it up for him.

“Go ahead and throw your clothes in the hamper.”

“What time is it?”

Kurumu shrugged, having not brought her watch this particular occasion. She finished rolling up the matting. Picking it up, she carried it over to his open closet. Doing her best to get it in there nicely, she shut the closet up and clapped her hands satisfactorily.

“You guys have detergent available in your laundry room?”

“… yea.”

Kurumu smiled as she walked back over to the hamper, noting he had not placed his things in it. Patting the top with her hands, she flipped open the lid.

“Come on, Tsukune. Throw them in and we can go.”

He sighed, setting down his alarm clock before coming closer. He dropped his sack atop his sheet.

“What am I going to do with you?”

Kurumu smirked.

“I can think of several things.”

Tsukune grabbed up the hamper and hefted it up. He winced, shifting the weight to his right side before turning about and heading for the door.

“Grab my keys and card on the counter there.”

Kurumu quickly fetched the things as he walked out his door. She smiled, pleased with herself as she stuffed his card into her back pocket. Holding open the cord, she slipped her head through the loop. Exiting the room, the door locked itself once it closed.

Kurumu bounded down the hall, catching up to him at the door. She quickly stepped around him to get the door open for him.

“You know, I can carry that.”

He shrugged, starting down the stairs with an obvious bit of trouble.

“I can do it.”

Kurumu let the door shut as she followed him.

“But you're still hurt.”

Tsukune chuckled.

“I would look terrible having a girl carry all of this. It's no big deal.”

Kurumu shrugged, supposing there was no reason to argue with him over that. Though she knew she should take advantage of this time to find out all she could about him, her mind was barren of things to say. Before she knew it, they were already at the bottom of the stairs, circling about the building intent on the laundry room.

Unable to find words, Kurumu quickened her step so she could walk beside him. She timidly reached out, touching his back gently. She felt him tense up, but it was only one hesitated step. As they continued to the laundry room, Kurumu wondering if they actually looked like a couple.

Though it was starting to brighten up with the rising of the sun, the lights of the laundry room were still on for no apparent reason. Naturally it was a tiled floor with a drain near the washing machines that lined the right wall. On the back wall were the dryers and the left wall had vending machines with cleaning products. Nestled between the machines was a card reader that would dispense tokens for the appliances.

“Is there anything particular you use?”

“Not really.”

She wandered over to the black box with the card reader on the front. Pulling his card out of her back pocket, she slipped it through the slot and punched the buttons to drop out fifty tokens. She figured that would be enough for what they had.

He shuffled the hamper over to the washers. Setting it down, he started lifting up lids.

Unsure if he knew what he was doing, Kurumu quickly selected something she knew had a very fresh scent from the vending machine. Picking the small bottle out of the dispenser, she hurried over to him. She was mildly amused as he emptied his entire sack of clothes into one washer.

“You do know that you don't mix colors with whites?”

“What?”

Kurumu giggled, pressing up against the washer and grabbing his dress shirts out of the pile to drop in the next washer.

“There are also cold and warm water preferences, though I would think all the uniforms are the same. You have to check the tags on your casual shirts to know which ones go where.”

Tsukune shrugged, backing off to give her room. His laundry sack was already empty, so he set it aside on a closed washer. He pulled his blanket out, which she promptly tossed into its own machine.

“Did you ever do laundry before?”

“A little.”

“I've been doing it since I started junior high. My mother said it was to help me develop the skills to live on my own, though somehow that translated into doing her laundry too.”

“I really didn't think there was much more to it than what I was doing.”

Kurumu laughed as she sorted his clothes into three different washes. He did not appear to have any cold water darks, which spared them a load. She knew she only had warm water things, and her delicates could be tossed in with their cold water dress shirts.

“Start handing my stuff up.”

“Your… stuff?”

Kurumu nodded, gesturing for the hamper. She smiled at his reluctance, slowly pulling the first of her blouses out of the pile. She loved his reaction, knowing he must have seen something he liked in there. With a grin, she snatched the blouse out of his hand and tossed it in with his dress shirts.

“Come on, Tsukune. Here, let me do it then.”

She promptly pulled one of her bras that had been at the top of the pile and handed it over to the lustful boy.

“Toss that in with the shirts.”

“I… uh…”

Not wanting to torture him, she fished out her other blouses and bras, thrusting them in his direction. The overloading had the desired impact, Tsukune snapping out of his embarrassment to quickly unload the garments into the proper washer.

“I think my skirts are the same stuff your pants are made from. Toss them in there. Oh, and these too.”

She handed over her skirts and panties. He took the skirts without thought but the moment his hand settled onto her cottons, he freaked out.

“Wh-wh-wait! These are! I shouldn't be handling these!”

Kurumu glanced aside with a mild smirk. Cradling the rest of her skirts against her bosom, she held out a small pair of undies.

“It's just fabric, Tsukune. I don't care if you touch them.”

Sensing a sudden surge of desire, she wagged a finger at him.

“But don't you dare do anything weird. Just put them in the washer already. You're making too much of a deal about this.”

“Uh… sorry. First time for me.”

Kurumu smiled, watching him toss the articles into the correct washer. She handed over the rest of the things, thinking it might be best not to mention this was the first time anyone other than her mother had handled her panties. She had never thought of this being something more than a harmless couple activity. It was starting to make her squirm.

Since she had washed all her clothes late last Sunday night, she did not have any casual wear to add to his. With the hamper empty, she scooted it aside and screwed off the lid for the liquid detergent. She handed the tokens over to him before she started doling out the proper amounts to pour into each washer.

“Make sure those are with a cold wash. Bras are not easy to replace.”

Tsukune audibly swallowed. His passion upon her was welcome as he glanced at the contents of the washer holding her lingerie.

“Um… these are all you have?”

“Kind of boring, right?”

“I sort of thought you’d have something… riskier.”

“If you want risky, I'm not wearing anything today.”

She grinned at his reaction to that, finishing up with the detergent. Setting the half empty bottle aside, she dropped the lid down for the washer with the blanket. Hopping up onto the surface, she scooted back and watched as he dropped tokens into the machine with his casual clothes before starting it up.

She grimaced in discomfort, wiggling on the cold surface. Uncoiling her tail, she let it slip out from beneath her so it could rest next to her leg. She noted his approach in the corner of her eye. Her tail curled up over her lap so that she could grip it in her hands at the base of the spade.

“Kurumu?”

“Hmm?”

“Did… did you charm me?”

“Huh?”

“To get me down here?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I don't think I did.”

“Don't think? What do you mean by that?”

She smiled softly, looking off across the room.

“Tsukune. Do you understand how I charm men to do my bidding?”

“You do it by looking at them.”

“Yes. Well… looking in their eyes. There has to be a connection.”

Tsukune nodded thoughtfully. He stiffened with a sudden frown.

“Wait. Don't you have to want to?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“Not really. I mean, define want. If I look at a guy and want him to leave me alone, he'll do it. I don't have to think, I'm going to charm this guy into leaving me alone. That only sends a clearer message.”

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Yea. I can throw random thoughts into a guy's head with a mere glance. Often it will only confuse them if my thoughts have absolutely nothing to do with them.”

“Is that why I rarely see your eyes?”

Kurumu grinned, toying with her tail as the washers nearby started kicking into motion. He had yet to turn this one on, though that was likely because he would have to reach around her to hit the start button.

“If you really want to see my eyes, we can always find a mirror.”

Tsukune sighed, clinking the tokens in his palm.

“Are you going to move so I can get this last one?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“You can push the tokens in and I'll hit the button behind me.”

“Oh. Yea.”

Tsukune shook his head as he started dropping slugs into the slot. Once he had the right amount, a small light flashed orange. With a simple pop of her fist against the square button behind her, the water started pouring into the cylinder.

“So… is there anything else about a succubus that I should know about?”

Kurumu chuckled.

“Like what?”

“Oh, I don't know. Moka was saying something about you making me a slave.”

Kurumu snorted.

“The only thing remotely true about that is something my mother said about humans. I guess if I kiss a human, they become my slave, but it certainly didn't happen when I kissed Takada.”

Tsukune swallowed, nodding grimly.

“Sounds… serious.”

“Eh, I don't know. I guess it could be true. Mother did have a couple human servants that lived with us and would do pretty much anything she asked them to do.”

Tsukune seemed uncomfortable with this, and she was not very thrilled about the subject either. Smiling, she presented her tail to him.

“Want to see something?”

“… maybe.”

Kurumu giggled. With a thought, she opened the spade end of her tail. It peeled back in four perfectly symmetrical petals, with a shimmering stigma in the center. She smiled, turning it up so he could see it better.

“I'm not even sure what this does.”

“What?”

She shrugged, gingerly touching the slender stem. Her whole body tingled when her fingers merely brushed against it, bending the needle ever so slightly. She grinned.

“I'm not joking. My mother did not feel like explaining much.”

“Maybe you should ask someone about it.”

“I asked my mother, but the only thing she said was that I'd go blind if I played with it too much.”

“Isn't that-”

Kurumu tingled as he clearly thought something delicious about her.

“Hmm?”

He shook his head.

“Nothing.”

“You want to touch it?”

Oh, this wicked, wicked boy. How she would love to know what it was he wanted to do with her right now.

“Just be real gentle with it. It's very sensitive.”

Tsukune swallowed. He clenched his fist, indecisively.

“Why do I feel like this is something very intimate that I shouldn't be doing?”

Kurumu laughed and then squeaked as the machine kicked into the agitation cycle. She shook her head, closing up the end of her tail. She held it up and playfully batted the top of his head with it.

“I don't think this is sexual at all, silly. If you want me to put you on the spot, I can start undoing some buttons.”

Oh, yes, that was very nice. She shuddered at his thought.

He took a very steadying breath. His cheeks were flush as he regarded the dryers.

“You're going to be a very difficult girl to be around.”

Kurumu smirked, spreading her knees to pat at the edge of the washer with her hands.

“Oh? You can always sit up here in my lap.”

“No.”

“Am I making it hard for you?”

“Do you say those things on purpose?”

She frowned.

“Hmm?”

He sighed, bowing his head slightly.

“Kurumu.”

“Yes.”

“I… I am… I've never… well you know. You say you love me.”

She smiled warmly.

“I do.”

“How do you know? How are you so sure?”

Kurumu shrugged. She had already puzzled over this herself and had given up trying to reason with her emotions.

“Tsukune. I want to know everything about you. That's not something I have ever felt towards anyone.”

He paused, nodding slowly.

“So… do you love Moka?”

Kurumu grinned, having an idea where he was going with this. It was true, that she was feeling very protective of the silly girl. In some ways, she felt closer to Moka than Tsukune. But there was a clear distinction.

“Of course I love her. But… I want to have something more with you.”

He swallowed, clearly aroused by her words.

“Something more?”

Kurumu nodded. She wanted so badly to look him in the eye, but she had to settle with looking over his shoulder beyond him. It was the closest she could get.

“You know… I'm not wearing any panties.”

His face turned a shade of pink as he promptly covered his mouth and nose, looking away. With how intense his desire came pouring into her, she was thankful she was not wearing any panties as she certainly was moist from all this playing with him. It was a good thing that denim took a lot to soak through.

“Kurumu, you have to stop.”

She could hear the tone in his voice, causing her to pout.

“Stop what?”

“Stop… this.”

“I'm not doing anything wrong.”

“Heavens, help me.”

Tsukune shook his head. Taking a calming, deep breath, he regarded her.

“Say we are a couple.”

“We are a couple.”

“I… not what I meant.”

She giggled.

“Anyways, I… um. Will we make it to summer break?”

“Make what?”

“You know.”

A sudden intense, yummy sensation filled her. She shivered, fairly confident what it was he was thinking about now.

“Mhm.”

“Well?”

“Hmm?”

“Will we make it to summer break?”

That was a fair question. She had held onto Takada as a boyfriend over an entire year, but he had never caused her body to react so wantonly. Only the occasional intense burst of lust from a guy wanting to force himself onto her would get any physical reaction at all, much like Saizou's antics.

But since coming to Yokai, Kurumu had felt differently. Ever since her body had come in contact with Tsukune, she had become more responsive to everything. It was difficult to say if Morioka, her locker room admirer, was special to her, or simply possessed a higher level of perversity than she had ever encountered before.

She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue.

“If… if you want me. I'm okay with it.”

Though she could tell he was frustrated with her answer, it came with a healthy dose of lust.

“What about your mother?”

Now there was a way to kill the rush.

“Huh? What about her?”

Tsukune shrugged at her harsh tone.

“Won't she be disappointed if we… well, you know?”

Kurumu giggled.

“I don't know if my mother even thinks I'm still a virgin. I doubt she cares.”

“That can't be right.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“She might find you cute and try to steal you away for herself.”

“Okay.”

Tsukune obviously recognized that was a dead end with the way he drawled that out.

“I don't know if my parents would appreciate this.”

Kurumu whimpered, suddenly very concerned. She had already had one guy turn her down over her race. It was scary to think Tsukune might do the same. She held her hands up desperately.

“Wait! Tsukune, wait! You don't have to tell them.”

“It's not a matter of telling them, but simply respecting their feelings.”

“But you can't live your life respecting their feelings. Wanting me should be enough, right?”

He frowned.

“But that would be the problem.”

She angrily slammed her fists on the edge of the washer.

“It's not a problem! You can't let them make these decisions for you!”

“I… what?”

She faltered, unsure what he was confused over. She paused some more, letting the fire of her anger burn out. She could not fathom where he had gotten lost in the discussion.

“Sorry.”

“I… I was going to say that… hmm. My girlfriend. I would want my family to meet someone like you before I did anything serious. You understand?”

Her heart skipped a beat at his words. She felt so warm and happy with this recognition. Unable to contain herself, she hopped off the washer and into his arms, burying his face in her bosom.

He gurgled some response, but it was lost in a sensuous swirl of emotions. He lost his footing and they tumbled down upon the tiled floor. While he fell on his back rather hard, her arms and knees took the brunt of the impact. And then, much to her disappointment, he lost consciousness.

* * *

Kurumu felt very happy as she carried her busted hamper of fresh clothes into the elevator. He had called her his girlfriend and had made it clear that he wanted to keep a respectable relationship between them for the sake of his parents. Her body could remain frustrated since this was something her heart and mind agreed with.

As the elevator ascended, her heart soared within a new sensation of love for him. Surely if any young man wanted to wait for the sake of propriety it meant things were very serious between them. But most importantly he was going to allow her to retain her dignity and be the good girl everyone had thought she was incapable of being.

To be completely honest, feeling bad for Moka had not been the whole reason for her avoidance of Tsukune this week. A part of her was scared. Being around Tsukune was intoxicating. She would impulsively touch him, because it felt so good. Thinking about him reciprocating her touch made it difficult to sleep at night. She was terrified because she doubted she could stop.

So, once he had regained his senses about halfway through the dry cycle, Kurumu had promised him that she would try her hardest to be a girlfriend his parents would be proud to call their daughter. It had been very difficult with a lot of fidgeting with her hands, but she had managed to get through the rest of their time in the laundry room without touching him.

Well, maybe just a little. There had been an awkward moment when she had flaunted his boxers. When he tried to snatch them away, she had abruptly turned about to get a startling slap to her hip. If her turn had been a little slower… she was so very bad.

Feeling guilty over how her mild flirting had aroused them both, she had promptly handed the garment back with much chagrin. She could not blame him for not talking much while they folded the rest of their things and walked everything back up to his room.

The door slid open. Grabbing up her hamper, she walked out into their small lobby, noting they had a couch in this small space and a decent sized television sitting on a black stand pushed into the corner. Every floor had the same setup, but she had never seen anyone actually use this space.

Unsure why she had even noticed it today, she walked down the small corridor that connected to the large one that ran down the entire length of the building. Turning to her left, she walked over to her room and set her hamper down. She fished her key out of her tight front pocket, slipping it into the lock and turning the handle. Bumping the door open with her rump, she dragged the hamper inside and proceeded to put her things away.

They had not seen Moka at breakfast. Kurumu had seized the opportunity to talk about finding Moka more friends and possibly a boyfriend. She could tell Tsukune had been uncomfortable with the subject, so she had abandoned it in favor of harmless banter over favorite foods and her home economics class.

It had been at that point that she remembered the bread she had inadvertently abandoned yesterday. Informing him about it, she had offered to make him lunches when she got better at the whole cooking thing. She had been so pleased with his remark about how well she did the picnic last week, that she had almost suggested starting next week. Of course, quickly thinking about the staff in the dining hall had deflated that idea.

They had been about to leave when one of their classmates had joined them. The familiar young man, Yamabato Kamitsuku, turned out to be the guy from room twenty-five that had let her into the hall last Monday. To Tsukune’s knowledge, Yamabato was the only guy from their class that lived on his floor. It had been obvious that the two were acquaintances at best, since the guy had spared at most a couple sentences with Tsukune.

Much to her discomfort, the guy had directed most of his conversation at her. Even though she made it abundantly clear she was Tsukune’s girlfriend, the guy still boldly invited her to watch a movie that he had got in the mail yesterday. Still refusing, she only yielded when Yamabato extended the offer to Tsukune.

At first Tsukune had obviously been nervous about the whole situation, despite how amicable Yamabato showed them about his room and talked about his package. When Tsukune heard they were about to watch some extended cut of some film, Versus, he had shown more interest. He had even mentioned some other movie in which the two main characters switched places, though it was not like she had heard of either title.

This movie, Versus, had utilized criminals, assassins, zombies and what she thought was souls wandering through time. It was entertaining despite her disposition against zombies. The whole concept of a body continuing to act without a soul disagreed with her.

As she slipped her blouses onto hangers, she realized how poorly she had been upholding that promise. But that had been a very valid case of necessity. She had to make it clear that she belonged to Tsukune, so sitting up against his shoulder was only natural. It was not like she had sat in his lap or had him drape his arms over her. His knee was simply a nice handrest.

Yamabato had offered another movie, but it had nearly been eleven and they still had things to put away. Politely disengaging, they had returned to his room. Tsukune wanted to work on his homework, so she had decided to let him be, taking her things and finally returning here.

Setting her empty hamper aside, Kurumu contemplated what she could do to kill time. She grabbed up her watch, fastening it about her wrist. She was supposed to meet up with Tsukune half after noon so that he would have time to finish his assignments. But Kurumu had no intentions at all to work on school right now. She would rather do that after dinner.

She wondered if Moka was in the dorm. She doubted the vampire would go anywhere on her own. Checking to make sure she had not set her key or card down, she slipped back out of her room and headed down the hall.

Easily half of the students were gone. Many clubs had activities on the weekend, so it was not surprising that nobody was wandering the halls this hour. She mildly wondered if Shirayuki had ever found something to do.

Kurumu walked back to the small intersecting hall, pushing open the door on her left. She stepped into the cramped stairwell, grimacing at the unpleasant odor. Unlike bedrooms and hallways, this tight space had no windows, so it could never be aired out. Still, there was little reason to ride an elevator down one floor.

She popped out onto the fifth floor with a breath of relief. She moved into the main corridor, angling slightly right to stop in front of Moka's room. Smiling, she rapped the back of her knuckles against the door.

“Hey, Moka? Are you studying? Moka?”

Kurumu knew there was a possibility the vampire would not be here, but she could not fathom where Moka might go. She stepped up closer, pressing her ear against the door.

“Moka?”

She heard a slight rustle from within, reassuring her. Backing away, she knocked firmly again.

“Come on, Moka.”

She could hear the shuffling approach and the turn of the deadbolt. She smiled brightly as the door was pulled back.

The sight of Moka brought a pain to Kurumu's heart. The vampire's cheeks were red and puffy. The girl sniffled, rubbing a tear away with her fingers. Her hand lingered on the door, holding it open.

Other than her face, the vampire looked nice enough in that blue and white striped dress. It was not the sort of thing one would wear to study. Kurumu slipped into the room and timidly reached up to touch Moka's cheek.

“What's wrong? Moka?”

The girl forced a smile, backing away from her touch. Letting go of the door, it drifted shut under its own weight. Moka turned aside, walking across her tidy room to her desk.

“Moka?”

She sniffled again.

“I was… studying.”

Moka laughed, pulling her chair back before sitting heavily down on it. She rubbed at her eyes again.

“I must have got something in my eyes.”

Kurumu frowned, knowing something was wrong. She doubted Moka would have pushed her chair back under the desk if she had been sitting in it. Plus there was nothing but an envelope on the desk, so studying was clearly not happening. Glancing about the room, Kurumu looked for any sort of clue she could find, but there was nothing on the floor.

Crossing the room slowly, Kurumu swallowed as a mild thought flitted by. Moka could have been out earlier and had seen her with Tsukune.

“Moka? Did I do something wrong?”

“Huh?”

The confusion brought so much relief that Kurumu nearly laughed.

“Okay. What is wrong?”

The vampire waved a hand dismissively, causing Kurumu to pout.

“Please, Moka. I… want to help.”

Moka pressed a hand lightly to her chest, letting out a long breath. Turning a broken smile to Kurumu, Moka shrugged and picked up the envelope. The vampire toyed with the torn top flap.

“I guess. It couldn't be helped.”

Kurumu impulsively snatched the letter out of Moka's loose grip. Ignoring the slight protest, Kurumu tugged the letter out. The single page was folded twice about a trio of portraits. She quickly noticed that the letter was typed and on some business stationery with a company logo, numbers and email addresses.

She glanced at the pictures, quickly recognizing the two girls from the portraits on the desk. Two were new portraits, likely so Moka would see how much the girls had grown the past year while the third was a group picture of the mother with the girls. The mother had such an amused expression on her face, making Kurumu wonder what had been going on while this picture was taken.

Holding the pictures at the corner of the sheet between her thumb and forefinger, she glanced down the writing.

My dearest Moka,

I know this will be rough for you, but it does not look like I will be able to visit you on your birthday this year. Work has me committed to leaving the country at that time, so it can't be helped.

Kahlua is deep in her studies to become the heiress of the Shuzen Estate. The poor girl. I barely see her at all, despite living in the same manor. She is turning eighteen this year so I find myself screening young suitors every other day. It saddens me that I have ended up no better than my own mother in this distasteful task. My precious Kahlua. She deserves so much better, but our time is short.

Kokoa misses you dearly. Breaking the news to her was far more difficult than writing this letter. She looked so forward to playing with you.

I trust you will do well in the academy. Stay safe and out of trouble. Hopefully the million that I left in your account for your birthday will make things easier for you.

Your beloved Mother.

Kurumu glanced at Moka, her eyes slightly wide at the last couple sentences.

“A million? As in money?”

“But she's not coming.”

“But it's a million.”

Moka pouted.

“Don't look at me like that. This is my family. I haven't seen them since my last birthday.”

“But it's a million.”

“Okay, I understand that. But, if I had to pick between the two, I'd still prefer seeing them.”

Moka shrugged with a faint smile.

“Even with the bruises.”

Unsure what that remark was about, Kurumu laughed.

“I'd take the money if I was given that choice. I mean… it's a million. Is this what you get on your birthday?”

“No! Normally it’s about a fourth of that.”

“Even a fourth is a lot more than I have ever seen.”

Moka pouted.

“I thought you were going to comfort me.”

“You're not crying now.”

“Because you made this all about money. Don't you understand how much this hurts for me? I was really looking forward to this.”

Kurumu shrugged it off, seeing no way she could ever be upset if her mother had actually paid to abandon her.

“When is your birthday? I know it’s soon.”

“On the tenth.”

Kurumu grinned, quickly making the connection.

“Of May?”

“Yes.”

Kurumu thought about it for a moment.

“That would have been the middle of the week anyways.”

“I know that. Normally she would visit the week before. But… it was really going to be special this year.”

“Oh?”

Moka blushed slightly.

“It would be the first time I had friends to show her.”

Kurumu felt a tug on her heart. Smiling, she set the letter and photos back on the desktop. Slipping behind the back of the chair, she draped her arms about Moka. Gripping her shoulder and the side of her head, Kurumu pulled Moka softly against her breast.

“That’s so sweet. I would love to meet your family.”

Moka rubbed slightly against Kurumu. The vampire reached up to grip Kurumu’s forearm.

“Kurumu.”

Kurumu caressed the side of Moka’s head, enjoying the softness of the hair.

“Hmm?”

“Thanks.”

The gentle nuzzling was starting to agitate her poor body that had been cycling in and out of arousal all morning long. Kurumu relaxed her hold, taking a half step back.

“Um… Moka? We’re good friends, right?”

The vampire smiled, giving Kurumu’s arm a squeeze.

“Yeah.”

“Do you… think you could buy me some things tomorrow?”

Moka snorted, favoring Kurumu with a mild backhand.

“It is a million.”

“You’re horrible.”

Kurumu shrugged, backing away another step while drawing her hands to rest below her bosom. She clasped her wrist.

“Horrible would be tagging along with you guys tomorrow and bringing home nothing because I’m broke.”

“But you wanted to go.”

“Well… I thought I could get something but then I remembered I have to spend what little I have on a new uniform.”

“New uniform?”

“Remember the one you totally wrecked last week? I can’t make it through the week without doing laundry now.”

“Oh… yea.”

Kurumu glanced at the closet thoughtfully.

“Now that I think about it, you will have to replace the one Morioka tore up. We should have that fleabag pay for that. Tsukune’s jacket too. I don’t even know what happened to that.”

“I could buy him a new one.”

Kurumu nodded, having noticed the contents of his barren closet before breakfast. That jacket had been his only one. She had refrained from saying anything at the time, not wanting to ask how poor he was.

“Have we invited Tsukune to come with us tomorrow?”

Moka brightened up with a smile.

“We should.”

“Do you know how to find this place?”

“Tora promised to take care of that.”

There was a moment of confusion before Kurumu recalled that was Nazohashi’s first name.

“You two seem to be getting close.”

“Tora? She’s a nice person. You don’t like her?”

“I wouldn’t say that. More like I don’t think she cares if I’m around.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

Kurumu laughed.

“Come on, Moka. She would have quit the club right from the start if you had kept quiet.”

Moka smiled softly.

“When we talked yesterday, you could tell how much thought she was putting into this. She was so frustrated yesterday when you guys did not show up for club.”

Kurumu could not dismiss that notebook Nazohashi had been carrying around all day. Despite the attitude, it was obvious that the girl was going to take the club seriously.

“She would quit if we left the club.”

“What?”

“Think about it. Do you really want to be in a club with Morioka? The guy is dangerous.”

“But… I like the club. Tora likes the club.”

“She will quit.”

“It only needs four members.”

Kurumu paused.

“Are you suggesting we kick out Morioka?”

Moka shrugged.

“Can we? I could ask Ms. Nekonome.”

Kurumu shrugged as the thought had never crossed her mind. Circling back to face Moka directly, she held her hands out for the vampire.

“We should go get Tsukune. Have you eaten yet?”

The vampire shook her head smiling. Moka grasped Kurumu’s hands and pulled against her weight till the vampire was upright. Letting go, Moka picked at the creases of her dress till it was smooth.

Kurumu impulsively stepped in, reaching for Moka’s waist. She could read the concern in Moka’s eyes, causing her to smile. Kurumu tilted her head, trying to keep relaxed though her heart fluttered at the thought of what she was doing here.

“Go ahead.”

“Kurumu?”

“I can’t have you sucking Tsukune dry when we go get him for lunch.”

“But I…”

“We’re friends, so it’s okay.”

“But Tsukune is the only person I’ve ever drank blood from.”

Kurumu sighed dramatically, tightening her grip on the reluctant vampire.

“Which is why you have to drink mine. Don’t you care about me as much as you do him?”

The vampire frowned, glancing aside.

“Well… it’s different.”

Kurumu giggled, knowing she had already said something similar to Tsukune about her feelings for Moka. Forcing on a pout, she regarded the vampire.

“Am I not good enough for you?”

Moka was clearly distressed.

“I… no.”

“I’m not?”

“Okay.”

Kurumu was about to question that when Moka’s head darted in. She winced as sharp fangs pierced the side of her neck. Reflexively her hands clenched tighter to Moka’s dress as her whole body tensed up.

This was so much different from the mermaid’s bite. She could feel her blood being siphoned out. There was no euphoric moment. Actually her heart started to pound more furiously throughout the whole exchange. It was not till Moka finally pulled away that Kurumu felt dizzy and light headed, as if she had finished a very strenuous task.

Kurumu held onto Moka for a couple moments longer, needing the support. Still unsteady, she stepped back and rubbed her palm against her moist neck. It did not hurt at all, but she felt weary. She offered the vampire a weak smile as she let go.

Moka licked her lips, touching the corner of her mouth with the tips of her fingers. She breathed a soft, content sigh. Turning aside, the vampire picked up the pictures and slipped them into the envelope. Still holding the envelope, she gestured to the door.

“Shall we go?”

Kurumu nodded, turning about. She laughed at her slight stagger. She swallowed, noticing how dry her throat was. It was no wonder why Tsukune always acted so out of it after the vampire got her fangs in him.

As she reached the door, Kurumu could not fathom why Tsukune had allowed this to happen every day last week. They were going to have to find more friends.

* * *

Kurumu smiled as Tsukune took a seat across from her. She glanced at Moka, but the vampire was more interested in starting her meal to notice the subtle implication. Keeping her victory silent, Kurumu seized up the first morsel.

They had stopped by Nazohashi’s room first, but the girl was out. Before leaving, Chousei from their class had stopped in for a few words. It turned out that the green haired girl lived on the other end of the second floor, though she had no idea where Nazohashi might be.

Naturally Moka had asked about the girl possibly joining the club, but Chousei politely declined. She quickly explained that the only reason why she had not had a club selected earlier this week was because she had been uncertain about the school’s choir. When she had mentioned this to Natsudera after the outburst, the girls had both joined the next day. While the two were not friends by any means, Chousei certainly hoped to be and liked the idea of having a familiar face in the club.

Chousei had taken interest in Kurumu’s tail, asking to see her wings. Reluctantly doing so, the girl had favored Kurumu with some compliments. Then with a slight turn, Chousei had surprised them by bringing out her own wings. Shaped like the oars of a boat, the girl had batted her six, gossamer wings while complaining how fragile the translucent things were.

Confirming the girl was a sprite, they had talked over wings for quite some time. She was not surprised to hear the girl could not sustain flight for long, aware of her own limitations. Kurumu had thought her endurance could be improved with exercise, but she was starting to suspect that the size and shape of her leathery wings simply were not meant for long distances.

The way Chousei spoke of her wings made it clear the girl valued them only in a cosmetic sense. It was interesting that she only had feeling at the base, which she had demonstrated by breaking off a small section from her top left wing. Laughing at their reaction, the sprite had reassured them it would grow back and that she often trimmed her wings to keep them smooth and healthy in appearance.

Recognizing the time, Kurumu had excused herself from the conversation, but the girl had tagged along to the dining hall. When they had not found Tsukune immediately, they left Chousei to check the boys' dormitory. Sure enough, Tsukune had also lost track of the time. On the bright side, with them showing up right before the staff stopped serving lunch, they practically had the dining hall to themselves.

Halfway finished with her meal and feeling much better for it, Kurumu regarded Tsukune with a slight smile. He was clearly focused on his meal, unaware of her attention. He had a very smooth face with soft features, a slight nose and thin lips. There was nothing gruff or rugged about him. He was cute, gentle and kind.

“Tsukune?”

As he glanced up, she averted her eyes.

“Nazohashi heard about a town nearby. Would you come with us tomorrow?”

“A town?”

“A monster town, Tsukune. You don't have to come if you don't want to.”

Kurumu frowned at Moka's sudden change of heart. Tsukune smiled warmly.

“Of course I'd go.”

“Keeping human form is optional there. Are you sure?”

Sensing Tsukune was reconsidering, Kurumu waved her hand dismissively.

“You three have been hanging out with humans too much. This is a chance to let it all out.”

Tsukune laughed nervously, stuffing some rice in his mouth.

“I'm sure Tora is going with us, since she knows how to get there.”

Tsukune swallowed, nodding.

“I'll go. I'll be fine.”

Kurumu gasped in frustration.

“Sheesh! You two make it sound like a big ordeal. We're just going to do a bit of shopping with Moka's birthday money.”

“Birthday money?”

“Mhm. Her mother sent her money, since her birthday is on the tenth.”

“You're older than me. Mine's on the twelfth.”

“Of May?”

He smiled, waving off Moka's remark.

“June.”

“Moka, show him your pictures.”

“Oh, yea.”

Moka pulled out the envelope that she had slipped beneath her tray. She took the portraits out and scooted them across the table for him to see.

“This is my little sister, Kokoa. And this is my older sister, Kahlua.”

Tsukune reached for the pictures but drew his fingers back to wipe on his sleeve. He regarded the portraits with a smile.

“I didn't know you had sisters.”

“And that's my mother.”

Kurumu felt this was a good opportunity to broach the subject.

“I didn't notice any pictures in your room, Tsukune. Do you have any siblings?”

He shook his head.

“It's just my parents, though I do have an older cousin that has always helped look after me. What about you?”

“Just my mother.”

Moka gently touched her pictures.

“Tsukune. Do you have pictures of your family? I'd like to see them.”

Tsukune frowned, rubbing at the back of his head.

“I have never had a reason to carry any photos. This is the longest I've been away from my family.”

Kurumu smiled.

“You must be really close to your parents.”

Tsukune laughed nervously.

“I guess, though I have never thought of it that way. Honestly, I always feel like I disappoint my mother. The trouble I had getting into high school was very hard on her. She has always had high expectations for my future and I don't even know what I want to do with my life.”

“I don't know if my mother expects anything at all out of me. What about you, Moka?”

Moka shrugged, putting away her pictures.

“I know she wants me to be good at everything I do.”

“Moka is feeling a little down because she won't get to see her mother on her birthday.”

Tsukune grinned brightly.

“I understand that. This would be the first time I don't spend my birthday with my parents.”

Kurumu wagged her hand quickly, hoping he would cease fire. He clearly had no understanding of Moka's situation.

“I wonder if my parents will even recognize me when I go back home for summer break.”

Moka hung her head.

“Yea. Summer break.”

Kurumu winced, doubting summer break would be anything special for Moka.

“We should take a picture.”

“Huh?”

“For Moka. When we go out tomorrow. Then she can send some pictures back to her mother.”

Moka smiled softly.

“I guess that would be nice.”

“And you can send some pictures to your parents too.”

Tsukune chuckled.

“I could do that. I had no idea that mail only came once a week here. My mother gave me so much postage I could easily write a letter every day and not run out of stamps.”

“What about your father?”

Tsukune sighed.

“I never understand what is in his head.”

“Why do you say that?”

Tsukune frowned, taking his time to chew down a couple mouthfuls before electing to answer.

“The only thing my father was interested in when I was in junior high was which girls were pretty and whether or not I had a shot at any of them.”

Kurumu laughed.

“Not very dependable, I see.”

Tsukune shook his head vehemently.

“Not that. He works very hard for us.”

“You didn't make him sound very serious.”

“He's only serious at work. At home he wants to relax. Teasing me about girls is his favorite hobby.”

Kurumu grinned.

“Then you have to send him a picture of you with each of us. I say a couple shot with all three of us.”

Tsukune grimaced.

“Three? Including Nazohashi?”

“It will make him think you are some sort of ladies man.”

Tsukune waved his hand dismissively.

“I could never lie convincingly enough to pull that off. But I don't mind telling them I have friends. I've already mentioned both of you.”

Kurumu perked up.

“Oh, you have? And what did you say?”

“I told them we were friends.”

Kurumu pouted.

“Just friends?”

“I can't have my mother worrying about me. You both understand that, right?”

“I guess.”

“Though if I send them pictures, they are going to realize you two are girls. Can we not do that?”

Kurumu kicked him.

“No. You didn't even mention we were girls? I feel sorry for your mother.”

“But I-”

“She's not going to be happy if she has to meet me to figure out I'm a girl. There's nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“But if she hears that I'm friends with girls, she is going to worry. My father is only going to make it worse.”

“If it's that much of a worry, she will talk with the school to arrange a visit with you.”

Tsukune went pale.

“I really don't want my parents coming to this school.”

“It may be best if we kept his parents in the dark about this, Kurumu. I don't mind if they don't know.”

Kurumu pouted, feeling like she was robbed of something very integral to being his girlfriend. Crossing her arms, she sulked.

“Well… I'm sending my mother a picture of him declaring him my boyfriend and that's that.”

“Kurumu!”

She stuck her tongue out at the vampire. Moka pouted.

“Fine. I'll send my mother a picture of Tsukune saying he is the first guy I've ever drank blood from.”

“Hey! I'd rather you two not send things to your parents.”

“Don't forget to mention you drank my blood too.”

“Huh?”

“I won't. I'll even mention how your blood was so sweet that it gave me a stomach ache.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“When did this happen?”

“So I guess when I pose in only an apron, your answer is having dinner before the chef.”

While Moka was confused by the remark, Kurumu could feel Tsukune was familiar with the concept. She leaned on her palm, smirking at the vampire.

“This is why I'm the girlfriend.”

Moka scowled.

“Why do you keep saying that?”

Kurumu shrugged it off.

“Tsukune, I've been thinking we need to introduce Moka to some of your friends.”

“Friends?”

“You have some friends in class, don't you?”

“Not really.”

“What about on your floor?”

Tsukune laughed, shaking his head.

“I barely know anybody on my floor. Umizake is the only guy that bothered introducing himself, so the rest are just faces to me. I didn't even realize Yamabato was on my floor till Wednesday.”

“Who is Yamabato?”

“He's one of the guys that sits in the front row of class.”

“Oh.”

“It sounds like we need to take a tour of your floor.”

“What?”

Kurumu nodded assertively.

“We need to walk your floor and introduce you to your neighbors. I'm surprised you haven't done it yet.”

Not really. Other than Shirayuki and Hiboshi, Kurumu had no idea about the names of any of the other girls on her floor. But she saw no value mentioning this when her goal was to increase his friend base and Moka's potential boyfriends.

“I don't want to be a bother.”

“Don't you think it would be a good idea if Tsukune has more male friends? It will be just like your junior high days.”

Tsukune sighed dramatically.

“I highly doubt that.”

Moka smiled softly.

“I think having more friends would be nice.”

“I guess we can walk my hallway after lunch.”

Kurumu grinned. With a thought, she held up a finger.

“But first, Moka and I have to go back to our dorm to get our things. Since we will be out most of the day tomorrow, we need to finish our homework today. We can have a little study session in your room.”

“But I'm almost done with my homework.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Then I guess you could show us how it is done.”

“I suppose I could.”

His innocent response slightly disappointed her. She glanced over the remnants of her meal, uninterested in eating. She could tell Moka was finished and there was nothing left for Tsukune to devour unless he had a sudden hunger for porcelain.

Slipping out of her seat, she stood up.

“Then we best get going. It sounds like we still have a long day ahead of us.”

Trailing her fingertips across Moka's shoulders as she passed, Kurumu headed for the door.


	14. Wanted: Good Friends

Kurumu pawed at the dirt with her faded black sneakers. The mass was over but Moka was still in the chapel talking with the priest. Kurumu hoped the vampire would hurry things up, since she wanted to get to the town before the lunch hour.

Yesterday had been less successful than Kurumu had hoped for when it came to finding friends. Instead of starting to meet guys from Tsukune's floor right away, Yamabato had snagged all three of them into his room for that movie he had tried offering them earlier. It was called Alive, though she had about as little opinion of it as its predecessor.

Yamabato seemed like a nice enough guy, but he simply did not feel right for Moka. He was ordinary, with a forgettable face. And she had seen his true form, so Kurumu could not picture her friend ending up with that. Nothing against his kind, as there certainly could be a real pretty girl out there from his species that would make him far happier.

Not very surprising, he had joined up with the film club. He reassured them it was more than watching movies. At least once a year the club would put together a film. And every member was encouraged to get out there and take pictures and record snippets of life. It sounded like something Morioka would be good at doing.

It had been after three when they finally started the tour. Working from the end of the hall, they had wasted five to ten minutes checking in with the occupant of each room. As most club activities had concluded by that point of the day, all but the guy in twenty two had been home for their brief visit.

Kurumu did not even remember any of the names of the guys they had first spoken with, but the guy across the hall from Tsukune's room was definitely a catch. Noroi was his name? Certainly he was someone worth giving a second look, though she could not recall if he had said anything interesting.

Tsukune's room shared a wall with the showers for their floor, so he only had one direct neighbor. This neighbor, Tanboshi, was a pig. Literally. His room was a complete sty and yet he had remarked something about it being a good thing he had cleaned up earlier that day. She could not imagine it possible for that room to be in worse shape.

Tsukune acted on good terms with the guy, admitting they were already acquainted. Tanboshi had laughed it off, mentioning he had not seen any other guy on the floor bring so little into a dorm room. Tsukune had quickly explained that his uniform and acceptance to Yokai had come so late that he had barely packed anything before his late Sunday arrival.

Laughing this off as flustering before the girls, Tanboshi talked big about his prowess in dating girls and judo. He had offered to demonstrate his skills, which she had quickly declined without suggesting Moka in her place. Kurumu cared too much to have thrown Moka to the wolves like that.

Changing subjects, they discovered Tanboshi was a student in Umatobi's class. Kurumu had not met the man, but she had heard some of the girls in home economics refer to him as the creepy history teacher. Apparently this was a girl thing since Tanboshi did not have any concerns about Umatobi's abilities to function as a teacher.

After spending quite some time with Tanboshi, they had continued the tour with a couple more nameless guys. Room sixteen belonged to a very, sexy young man, though his personality was curt and dismissive. Nothing could beat a conversation ending with a wooden stick brandished inches from her nose. He made the aloof Umizake seem a warm and kind hearted person by comparison.

Umizake had ended their outing with his familiar sarcasm. A couple well placed remarks about them stirring up trouble with something that could be misconstrued as bragging had successfully shamed Tsukune from continuing any further down the hall. It also had helped that it had nearly been the dinner hour, so abandoning the tour could be done without it being a direct result of the reprimand.

But something was wrong. At some point, Tsukune had started to act more preoccupied. Kurumu had really noticed it at dinner last night, though he could have been acting that way even earlier. It had been more obvious when she was the only person at the table interested in talking.

Moka's reticence was understandable. The vampire was still struggling with disappointment. Kurumu had to prompt him to speak multiple times during this pursuit of Moka boyfriend material. Frankly it had started to annoy her, since she ended up the object of affection more often than not.

Unlike last week, Moka had been in no mood to challenge Kurumu's attire. The denim had been tight but these khaki micro shorts may as well be painted on. She was thankful these were buttons, since she doubted she could zip up this without pinching something sensitive. Oddly, her tail had a lot more breathing room than her crotch.

She had to wear a bra with this black tank top, even though the white straps stuck out like a fish flopping on a beach. The shirt was too loose ever since she had cut out a wide swath in the back for her wings. Even though it was hemmed up nicely, a little jiggle could set her puppies free. She doubted Nazohashi would appreciate the exposure.

“Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu glanced up from the hole she had been digging with her sneaker. Nazohashi had been late to church this morning. Not that Kurumu cared, but she had wanted to ask about the details of their adventure and was already familiar how their class representative would not chat during prayer service.

This was the rich, spoiled girl's version of casual. Her crimson sweater was drawn over a short sleeved, white blouse. The simple shirt was tucked in at her tiny waist. A narrow, silver band fed through the small loops of her black dress pants and was cinched at the center with a large, circular buckle.

Nazohashi stepped down the broad stone stairs built up to the red brick chapel. A black, metal handrail was anchored into the side of the low wall flanking the stairs that preceded the wide landing where people could mingle before and after the service. Not that there had been much chatter exchanged. Most of the congregation had dispersed before Kurumu had even gotten to the bottom of the stairs to wait for the others.

“Nazohashi.”

The girl nodded slightly, shifting her purple clutch to her left hand. Considering her pants had no pockets at all, the small bag was needed. Kurumu was thankful she only had to bring her keys and ID card, both of which technically could fit in her shorts. The back pockets had to suffice.

“What time is it?”

Kurumu glanced at her wrist.

“About half past nine.”

Nazohashi nodded, glancing about with her lips pursed.

Tsukune slipped out of the left door of the massive, wooden set with thick glass panes built into the top panels. His one bag of things apparently had lacked semi-formal attire. His black tee and jeans matched her attire best.

As for the shirt, the white shield logo sprawled across the front was vaguely familiar to her. Having asked about it at breakfast, she found out it was a shirt for the band known as Dragon Ash. It bothered her that Moka actually knew enough about the band to comment that it was not her kind of music.

“Tsukune.”

He glanced back to the door as Kurumu mildly waved at him. Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he started down the stairs.

“Tsukune?”

“Oh, hey.”

Kurumu pouted.

“You've been like this all morning. Did you get enough sleep last night?”

Arriving at the bottom of the stairs, the young man stopped between the two girls. Tsukune shrugged, scratching behind his ear.

“Sort of. After you guys left, Tanboshi was very interested in us and before I knew it I was helping him, Kinusawa and Yamabato with their homework.”

“Kinusawa?”

“The guy between those two. In twenty three.”

Kurumu only vaguely recalled the guy.

“It was a long night.”

“I'm glad you are making friends.”

Tsukune laughed nervously.

“I'm still not entirely comfortable with everyone, you know. But you are right. Being timid isn't getting me anywhere.”

Kurumu smirked.

“So, did they say anything about us?”

Tsukune flushed, glancing away.

“Not really.”

“Any of them upset like Umizake said?”

“They did want to know which one of you was my girlfriend.”

“And you said?”

“Nothing. Yamabato said you were while Takoshine vouched for Moka.”

“Takoshine?”

Tsukune frowned.

“You met him. He's friends with Yamabato and Kinusawa.”

“I hope you cleared the matter up.”

“I didn't see a reason to.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“Establishing which girl they can chase after is sort of important, Tsukune.”

“Weren't we just making friends?”

Kurumu sighed.

“I suppose. What is that girl doing?”

Tsukune glanced over his shoulder.

“I think she was talking about her family. She's still very upset over that.”

“What about Moka's family?”

“Oh, you're still here?”

“Where else would I be? What's this about Moka?”

“Her mother won't be able to visit her on her birthday.”

Nazohashi scowled, shaking her head.

“That is another thing that I dislike about the school.”

“Huh?”

“The limited visitation. I know they say it's to encourage our growth into independence, but I've never been away from my father for more than a day.”

“Awwww. Getting homesick?”

“You're such a juvenile.”

Kurumu smirked, redirecting her attention to Tsukune. He was acting distant again, which was really starting to bother her.

“What are you thinking about?”

Tsukune snapped out of his reverie. He smiled sheepishly.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, come on. Did something happen last night?”

He shook his head and shrugged.

“I guess… I don't know. How was it?”

“How was what?”

“Nevermind.”

“Now I'm too interested to let that go. What are we talking about?”

“For God's sake, woman. If he does not want to talk about it, just let it be.”

“I wasn't talking to you.”

“But you are talking around me. And it is very annoying.”

“Then go somewhere else.”

“I'm not going anywhere without Moka or our guide. Deal with it.”

Kurumu was tempted to fight the issue, but the remark intrigued her.

“Who is our guide, anyways?”

“Senior.”

“Morioka?”

“Of course. Who else would I get?”

Kurumu groaned, wondering if the guy would even show up. She supposed she could not be angry with Nazohashi, clearly ignorant of the recent issues with their leader. Prior to that, Kurumu had even thought about using the lustful senior as a guide.

“So when was this arranged?”

“Yesterday.”

“For real? That guy has balls.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“I hardly consider that remark justified. He was hurt that we had not asked him for guidance earlier.”

“He was hurt alright. How did he find you?”

“What?”

“Where were you at, yesterday? We stopped by, but you weren't home.”

“Oh. The student council had a meeting and all the class representatives together were asked to attend. They wanted to make sure that everyone understood our responsibilities and introduced us to the head of the student police.”

“Sounds boring.”

“You would be. Though I was surprised. I wasn't aware that graduates could remain as active participants in our program.”

“Graduate?”

“They made no pretense about it. They said the job was too important to be handled by even a senior student, so he is technically an adviser without actually being part of the faculty.”

“Yea, yea, whatever. So… Morioka was involved with this meeting?”

“He was not. I decided to check in at the printing room after the meeting and he was there. He is more dedicated than I gave him credit for.”

Kurumu sighed, glancing to Tsukune. Unfortunately he was off in his own world again, so if she was going to blow the horn on Morioka, she would have to do it alone. She wished Moka would hurry up.

“He was very receptive to most of my ideas. I was a little worried that many had not crossed his mind, though I guess he only had a year of experience and he was not the one in charge of things. It seems their former president resigned at the end of the second term, so they were sort of running without an official leader for the last few months.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“That doesn't surprise me. He doesn't strike me as the leader type.”

“Being a leader simply requires knowing how to use your resources. You honestly don't believe that the owner of any company works harder than everyone else he employs.”

“He really has you fooled.”

Nazohashi snorted with contempt.

“Clearly you don't understand the subtleties of leadership. The man put in a solid day's worth of effort into our club yesterday while you did nothing. We spent the whole afternoon working up on a poster and sales pitch for the local vendors.”

That man was devious.

Moka finally emerged from the chapel with a slight smile on her face. The vampire was wearing the other expensive dress from her wardrobe, which actually was a two-piece. The frilly, lavender gown had white lace stitched into the hem that circled about her legs halfway up her thighs. Over this was a matching long sleeved jacket which had similar lace stitched about the top. Only one white button held the jacket together, the white trim lining the edges of the two parts. The way the jacket was designed made it so that the vampire's black collar and cross pendant were quite visible.

“I'm sorry, it took so long.”

Kurumu smirked at the apologetic expression.

“Hey, Moka. I heard Morioka will be our guide today.”

The vampire was genuinely distressed.

“One second.”

The girl bowed before quickly slipping back inside the chapel.

“What was that about?”

Kurumu shrugged at Nazohashi's remark. She glanced at Tsukune, wondering if he had even noticed the exchange.

“So when is our valiant guide supposed to arrive?”

“I told him nine, knowing that would be a little early. I wonder if he saw mass was still in service so he left.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Maybe he realized this was a bad idea.”

“What is a bad idea?”

Kurumu grimaced, whirling on the speaker. Somehow he had appeared less than an arm's length away. Unlike Tsukune, whom still had a darkness about one of his eyes, Morioka did not appear injured in the slightest. The werewolf grinned mischievously, his hands thrust in the pockets of his olive cargo pants. As expected, one side of his black, silk shirt was not tucked and the top buttons were undone so that his collar flared out wide to bare his silver pendent.

“Senior? When did you get here?”

“As quickly as I could.”

Kurumu scowled. Surely she should have felt him, since he was dripping with shameless desire. Crossing her arms below her bosom only made things worse.

“Are you going to behave yourself?”

“Ms. Kurono! That is hardly called for.”

Morioka grinned. He reached for her hand, so she promptly turned away. Chuckling, he walked around her to confront Nazohashi.

“Sorry for the delay.”

The girl blushed, averting her gaze. She gestured to the chapel.

“We're still waiting for Moka, so you're not late.”

Morioka regarded the chapel with an amused grin.

“I never imagined a vampire to be the sort to frequent churches.”

Kurumu smirked.

“I suppose some people are just full of surprises.”

“Indeed. So what is it she is doing in there?”

“Probably praying for a miracle that involves you.”

Nazohashi scowled.

“Don't be silly. She forgot her tote.”

Kurumu pouted as her insult was derailed, though she supposed that was a valid possibility. Tucked against her side, Moka had been carrying around a crimson purse with her arm slipped through the black handles. Just as she thought about, Moka stepped out from the chapel with her bag in place.

“See.”

Morioka grinned as he pounced up the stairs to take a bewildered Moka by her hand.

“Ah, Ms. Akashiya. Allow me the honor of addressing you by your first name.”

With a wolfish grin, Morioka lifted her hand as he lowered his head. The vampire barely managed to get her hand out of his before his lips touched. Familiar with his speed, Kurumu imagined the near miss had been intentional.

Moka moved away from him, holding the hand that clutched at the straps of her bag. She smiled politely and looked to them for support.

“Shall we be going?”

Morioka laughed, hopping down the stairs slowly as he regarded them with unparalleled confidence.

“I suppose we shall. We'll have to stop at the school first to pick up our fliers, but it's on the way.”

Kurumu had a feeling this was going to be a long day. She stepped closer to Tsukune, grabbing the absent minded boy's arm. Tsukune mildly glanced at his seized arm.

“Kurumu!”

“What?”

The vampire pouted, quickly moving over to Tsukune's other side. She promptly seized up his other arm, which finally shook him out of his thoughts.

“Hey? Guys? Wait, why is he here?”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head. She really had to know what was on his mind that could keep him from noticing that.

* * *

Mononoke was the name of the small town located a good five or so kilometers down the paved path that ended on the school grounds on the west side. Or was that east? Coming to school from the dorms, it was on the left side.

The first building to poke up from the dense forest had been a large four or five story hospital that the path skirted by. Kurumu had questioned the purpose of such a service given that so many monsters had excellent regenerative properties, but Morioka had soundly countered with Tsukune's battered appearance along with references of knowing kids that were knocked unconscious for days. While functioning as a safe haven for incapacitated monsters, the hospital also provided services for numerous procedures unavailable in the human realm.

Other than the hospital and the academy, Mononoke had little else to offer permanent residents which kept it a fairly small town. Most would commute to the school on foot or via bicycles. Hearing this, Moka had inquired about bike repair shops and brightened up at the thought of fixing hers. It was one of those annoying moments where Tsukune and Moka were both on the same happy page.

At the hospital, Morioka had turned them down the right side of the path, stating the other would take them into the residential part of the town. After walking through some nondescript buildings for small businesses that every town needed, they finally arrived at the shopping district which was already bustling with activity.

It was a lot to take in all at once. The sights, smells and snippets of conversation all crowded in on her senses, though it was not like she had never been to a marketplace before. Not many students frequented the first couple blocks of the district, though that was because it was littered with vendors for groceries. The people here presumably had access to a stove and refrigerator.

Morioka had suggested stopping at all the places the students were likely to shop or frequent. These businesses were the most likely to benefit from running an ad in their school paper.

“We'll start here.”

Morioka gestured to a charming cafe nestled between hawkers of fish and vegetables. The yellow sign suspended from the overhang had black characters that read “Mix It Up”. Grabbing Nazohashi by the arm, the werewolf ducked through the open doors.

Seeing no reason to follow, Kurumu released Tsukune to approach the nearest vendor. She looked over his goods with mild interest, though it was not long before she felt him take interest in her. She tried not to feel too disgusted with the slippery creature that turned its beady black eyes upon her. Its voice rasped out, wet and nasal.

“Such a pretty one. A first year from the Academy.”

“Why yes, I am.”

“Always nice to see a new face these parts.”

The vendor raised an appendage lined with suckers. It wagged at Moka and Tsukune, while trying to attract the attention of other onlookers.

“No need to be shy. Take a look. Best prices in town on calamari.”

Kurumu regarded the iced boxes of wares, not particularly interested in this particular dish. She smiled at the vendor.

“I was wondering. Do any of these shops here accept our ID cards?”

The beast chortled, wagging its tentacles with dismissively.

“No, no, girl. We only accept actual coin here.”

“The other vendors?”

“Not that I'm aware of.”

Kurumu sighed, having suspected that to be the case. There went all her lofty ideals of hitting this place up for groceries to cook meals for Tsukune. Even if she did get good at it, the dining hall would never allow her to buy enough for a decent sized meal and she was not about to rob the home economics stock on a regular basis.

“I guess I'll have to pass, then. My mother only loads my ID card.”

“I understand, little lady. Very few first years buy my wares.”

With that said, the vendor turned his attention to other passersby. He called out, wagging his arms excitedly to draw in interest. Smiling, Kurumu wandered back to her friends.

None of them were handling the simple stroll down the grocer market very well. Moka clearly held tighter than necessary to a pale Tsukune. And Nazohashi had been hovering close to them ever since the hospital. Perhaps Morioka had been serious about her letting her wings out so that they would not stand out so much.

“I hope they don't take too long.”

Moka glanced to the open door of the restaurant.

“Should we go in and help?”

“I don't see how more of us would make this go any faster unless we were going to different locations.”

Kurumu smirked at the vampire.

“Are you wanting to split up?”

Moka frowned.

“We don't know where we should go. Or what Tora and Senior decided we would be saying to the businesses.”

Kurumu smiled, not meaning for that to have been taken seriously. She glanced at Tsukune.

“You look troubled.”

He forced a slight smile.

“I'm not used to it.”

Kurumu giggled.

“You realize most of the students in our class look something like this when they aren't trying to look like humans.”

“I've seen Tanboshi several times. This is… different.”

Kurumu smiled, gesturing back to the vendor.

“Not really.”

“Kurumu. That's a squid monster selling calamari.”

Kurumu shrugged with a wry grin.

“Then I guess that means it should be fresh.”

Tsukune snickered, shaking his head.

“That's just disgusting.”

“What was disgusting was what that guy was thinking.”

“Huh?”

“I'm guessing it involved wrapping those tentacles about me.”

Kurumu smirked as Tsukune's thoughts firmly groped her body. She stepped closer to the flush boy, smacking his shoulder with the back of her hand.

“Stop that.”

Moka scowled.

“What was that for? Tsukune didn't do anything wrong.”

“But he was thinking it, right?”

“Well, I… what do you think I was thinking?”

Kurumu smacked his shoulder again for playing dumb. Seeing how this only caused the vampire to become more distressed with her, Kurumu seized up his arm and yanked him towards her. The vampire staggered a slight step with Tsukune, but managed to keep her tight hold.

“Moka, trust me. You'd hit him too if you knew what he was thinking.”

“No I wouldn't.”

“You already did when he peeped up your skirt.”

Moka blushed, turning her nose sharply away.

“That has nothing to do with this!”

Grinning, Kurumu nuzzled closer up against him, feeling his hungry thoughts along with a mixture of other attention directed upon her for making such a public spectacle. She pushed his arm aside, feeling him stiffen as she quickly wrapped her arms about his torso and hugged him tight.

“Hey! Stop that!”

As Kurumu took in a deep breath of his intoxicating scent, a heavy hand smacked the side of her head. Wincing, she relaxed her grip and turned so that Tsukune's body shielded her better.

“You stop it.”

“I'm not doing anything wrong.”

“You're too close to my boyfriend.”

“Tsukune's not your boyfriend!”

“He's not yours.”

Moka snatched her hand away, turning her back to them.

“Fine. I'm not buying you anything today.”

Kurumu pouted. She had a passing temptation, and she really wanted to say it to see how Tsukune would react. But she held back her words about Tsukune being fine with her wearing nothing. Letting him go, she gripped her elbow and looked at the ground, uncertain what to say or do next.

Morioka emerged with a flush Nazohashi in tow. He had a wide grin as waved for them. Turning to his left, he progressed further down the block. They only walked by six or seven booths before he gestured to his right. Two posts guarded the dark doors with embedded, frosted glass panes. On each pole flapped a crimson pennant with gold lettering declaring “The Score”.

“This place favors the male perspective, so I can't be bringing any of you ladies in there.”

Tsukune sighed.

“I guess I'm ready for this.”

Morioka glanced at them.

“Huh?”

With a sneer, the werewolf turned fully upon Tsukune.

“Oh, right. I'm not sure, kid. Looking up skirts does not quite make you man enough for this place.”

“Kid? You're probably not even a year older than me.”

“Being a man has nothing to do with age, Aono. You keep the girls entertained while I take care of this.”

Smirking, Morioka turned on his heel and walked through the posts intent for the door. Scowling, Tsukune started after the young man.

“Wait, Tsukune.”

Kurumu snagged him by his sleeve.

“You know he's just toying with you. Stay out here with us.”

Tsukune scowled even darker. He yanked his arm away.

“You don't understand this. Just leave me alone.”

“Tsukune?”

She pouted as he walked away without any further hesitation. While she understood this was likely a matter of pride, she also worried that Morioka was planning something devious. She took a step towards the doors, but her arm was seized in a tight grip.

“Kurumu, wait.”

Kurumu frowned at the vampire. She tugged but could not easily escape that vice grip.

“You know we can't leave him alone with Morioka.”

Nazohashi huffed.

“Have some respect for Senior, Ms. Kurono. He told us to stay out and that is what we should do. Mr. Aono should have listened better to Senior's advice.”

Kurumu really wanted to strangle that girl. Instead, she forced a smile.

“So how did things go at the other place?”

Nazohashi smiled like a pleased feline.

“Senior was surprisingly aggressive. Even though they first declined my offer, his strong words convinced the manager to reconsider.”

Kurumu nodded.

“So… how exactly does this work? We ask if they want an ad in the paper and they say yes?”

Nazohashi rolled her eyes and wagged a hand.

“Don't worry about it. Senior and I have all the details worked out.”

“Oh, really. Has he told you anything about Friday night?”

“Kurumu, should we?”

“What about Friday night?”

Kurumu smirked.

“Morioka made a pass on Moka.”

Nazohashi shook her head.

“He mentioned there may have been a misunderstanding.”

Kurumu laughed.

“A misunderstanding? I'd love to hear what he told you.”

“He heard the rumor that Moka was a vampire so he wanted to see how powerful she was.”

“He attacked us. He said he was going to make Moka his woman by force.”

Nazohashi blushed a deep shade of crimson.

“Clearly a misunderstanding. You must have misheard something.”

Moka shook her head vehemently.

“He said nothing about taking me by force.”

“He tore up your uniform!”

“I… know that. But all I remember was him trying to convince me that Tsukune was peeping on other girls. When I refused to listen to him, he tried to provoke me into a fight.”

Kurumu wanted to challenge it further, but realized Moka might very well have no recollection of anything after Tsukune had removed the pendant.

“But you remember him attacking Tsukune and you. Right?”

“Yea.”

Taking a deep breath, Moka turned and placed a hand on Nazohashi's shoulder.

“I'm sure he had a reason. Maybe it was just to test out the rumors.”

“Moka? Really?”

Moka shrugged without much conviction.

“Maybe… maybe he lost control.”

Kurumu scowled.

“The only thing he lost control of was his hormones.”

Kurumu sighed with frustration. She gestured to Nazohashi.

“He's a werewolf.”

“A werewolf?”

“Kurumu! We shouldn't talk about his true form.”

“I felt like she should know before blindly siding with him on this.”

Nazohashi huffed, pulling away from Moka.

“What sides are there to take?”

“Huh?”

“He said there was a misunderstanding and clearly that is true.”

“There isn't much to misunderstand when someone attacks you.”

Nazohashi shook her hands angrily.

“I know that! Okay! But he's a monster that wanted to test your strength. How else did you think he was going to do that?”

Kurumu opened her mouth, but not a thought came to mind. She pursed her lips, supposing that was a decent point.

“If we should be upset at one of the boys here, it would be Tsukune. Why was he even invited?”

Kurumu took a menacing step towards Nazohashi, causing the girl to cower.

“Oooo a cat fight!”

Kurumu threw a dirty look at Morioka but quickly lost her anger at the sight of Tsukune. The poor boy was battered worse than before and was leaning on Morioka for support. The werewolf grinned, yanking his arm away which caused Tsukune to stagger and fall to the ground.

“Tsukune!”

Moka dived in without hesitation. The vampire helped pick him up by his shoulders, his head resting against her chest while his hands lingered on the pavement. His body trembled in Moka's grasp.

Kurumu scowled at the vampire and gestured angrily at Morioka.

“What did you do to him?”

“Me? Nothing.”

Nazohashi glanced away.

“Senior?”

Morioka's devilish grin faded. Slipping his hands in his pockets, he backed away a couple steps from the vampire and Tsukune. He shrugged apathetically.

“Honest. I told him not to come in but he didn't listen. The regulars here are not very friendly to strangers.”

Kurumu scowled.

“And yet you came out unscathed.”

Morioka smirked.

“The first time I went in there, it was a real beating. Of course, I could have avoided the whole thing if I simply adhered to the rules.”

“Rules?”

“It's the owner's insistence that everyone must show their true colors. Says he doesn't like not knowing what's coming through his door.”

Nazohashi glanced away.

“Oh. So Mr. Aono did not show his true form?”

Morioka chuckled.

“Pretty gutsy. I tried to reassure them that Aono was harmless and to listen to our proposal, but they just couldn't let it go. I ended up having to remind them about the last time they gave me trouble.”

Kurumu snorted, still thinking this had been a plan to hurt Tsukune.

“Tsukune, is it true?”

Tsukune pushed Moka away, looking at the ground as he sat back on his haunches. Holding his hand up at Moka's attempts to touch him, he slowly picked himself up off the pavement and turned his back to Morioka.

“Tsukune.”

“It's as he said.”

Morioka smirked in triumph.

“You know, you didn't even half to do a full transformation to avoid that.”

The werewolf grinned, holding out a hand that quickly swelled up into a furry clawed fist. Morioka turned his feral expression upon Nazohashi. Flexing his fingers twice, he willed his hand to return to normal.

“What do you think about that?”

Nazohashi shrugged, still not meeting his gaze.

“I think we should move along to the next place.”

Morioka snorted. He snapped his fingers and turned away.

“I'd suggest changing up soap, Aono. You have an unusual scent.”

“There's nothing wrong with the way I smell.”

Morioka laughed, walking away.

“Go back in there and tell them that.”

Before Morioka got past the next vendor, Nazohashi hurried to join him. There was nothing really to say to Morioka. Kurumu had known for a long time that there was something different about Tsukune. But she did not know the truth to rub it in Morioka's face. Voicing her suspicions about him being a witch now would only make things worse.

Kurumu drifted over to Tsukune, holding her hand out to him. Tsukune looked at it and walked away without comment, prompting her to follow alongside Moka. She favored Moka with a concerned glance, but the vampire was similarly withdrawn. This whole atmosphere did not remotely resemble the way she had pictured this on Friday.

“Morioka!”

She grabbed a startled vampire by the arm and quickened her step. The werewolf slowed his step, though kept on walking. Thinking Tsukune would not be in the mood, Kurumu resisted the urge to grab his arm as she passed him.

“Morioka.”

They were clearly moving out of the grocer market, as there were no more hawkers standing out at open storefronts. Some young people were milling about the next block, though there did not seem to be much draw here. All the stores were hemmed closely together, some no wider than the window and door in the front.

“Morioka!”

The werewolf gestured to his right at a small coffee shop called “Warm Brews”. With a smirk, their leader grabbed Nazohashi by the hand and pulled the stumbling girl in after him.

Kurumu pouted, releasing Moka to gesture angrily at the door.

“What is wrong with him? This is going to take forever if we stop at every place that serves food and drink.”

“Well… he is taking this seriously.”

Rolling her eyes, Kurumu glanced at the sulking Tsukune. Sighing, she relaxed her back, letting her wings out. She flexed them while rolling her shoulders, feeling a little better.

The air about her silent friends was tense. Kurumu scowled as a solid couple minutes passed without comment.

“Tsukune? … … … … … … Tsukune?”

Tsukune sighed, shaking his head.

“What?”

“Are you okay?”

“I'm fine.”

“Was the place really only for guys?”

“I… I don't know. I couldn't tell.”

Kurumu smiled, supposing that could be a problem with some monster races.

“Tsukune. How much do you know about other monsters?”

Tsukune shrugged, looking to Moka.

“What I've seen in movies mostly.”

Kurumu could not hold back a sharp laugh.

“Movies? Humans make most of the movies out there and they don't know much about monsters. What about your parents?”

Tsukune chuckled, shaking his head.

“My parents? Kurumu. I don't really know anything about monsters.”

Kurumu sighed, knowing that could be true. All her knowledge about other monsters came from her peers in junior high. She could hardly consider them reliable sources, but at least she knew the boys had been telling her what they believed to be true. It was not like her mother had told her anything important, even when it came to her own kind.

“It just frustrates me.”

“Tsukune?”

“All I did was refuse a drink because I'm underage.”

“They offered you a drink?”

“And then it became this whole ordeal over showing my true form and fighting like a man. What is wrong with those people? Why does everything have to end up in violence?”

Kurumu shrugged, looking to Moka for support. The vampire gnawed on her lip, bothered by his words.

“Tsukune, you know that's not always true of everyone.”

“That's sort of how it is though, Moka.”

Moka turned pleading eyes upon Kurumu. She sighed, not really able to offer anything contrary to Tsukune’s claims.

“You guys might not have seen it much, being in human schools, but that's how I remember junior high. If someone was being a jerk to you, the only thing to do was beat them down or else they would make things harder for you.”

“So what then? Does that mean if I lose a fight, they can keep bullying me all they want?”

Kurumu gestured to Moka.

“You beat Morioka in a fight. I don't think he's going to try to fight you again. Do you?”

“I… well, no.”

“Because you established yourself stronger than him. He's not going to take a direct approach again. Even with the full moon tonight.”

“Basically if I want someone to leave me alone, I have to beat them up.”

Tsukune scowled, shaking his head with disgust.

“Why does it have to be like that?”

Kurumu shrugged, gesturing to Moka again.

“It's okay, Tsukune. Moka and I won't be upset if you have to reveal your true form if you get in a fight.”

“What's wrong with staying the way I am?! Why does strength have to be the only thing of value in this society?!”

Kurumu sighed, having few ideas how to cheer him up that would not get her in trouble with the vampire or outright rejected by him.

“Moka, come here.”

The vampire meekly regarded her, clearly distraught with this conversation. Moka was wringing her hands, reluctantly approaching Kurumu. Kurumu promptly snagged the vampire by the arm, gesturing at her friend.

“Clearly strength is not Moka's only assets.”

Immediately she felt Tsukune's arousal, which annoyed her.

“I am not pointing at her tits, Tsukune, so you can stop thinking that.”

“I'm not!”

“Kurumu! Quit saying things that aren't true!”

“What? Why would I lie about something like that?”

“You… you're… you're trying to embarrass me. That's why.”

“Moka, I swear, that I'm not thinking anything like that!”

Kurumu scowled. Every instinct in her body told her that he had some sexual attraction towards Moka. There was no way he would put up with the girl drinking his blood if he did not fantasize a little about being with Moka. He was very much like some of those boys in junior high that had never had a girlfriend before. The moment any girl showed the slightest bit of interest in them would be made into something far more meaningful than it should be.

“Do you value her only because she is strong?”

“Of course not!”

“Kurumu! You're making a scene.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Making a scene would be telling Tsukune how I gave you a sponge bath last night.”

Moka was appalled, but the interest Tsukune poured into her was completely worth it.

“What?!”

Clearly preferring Tsukune aroused over depressed, Kurumu pulled Moka closer. She hugged the vampire, nuzzling her cheek on the top of Moka's breast. Tsukune's desire swelled up, causing her to feel a little weak in the knees.

“Kurumu? Tsukune, she's only joking.”

“She can't handle water directly so I had to wipe down every last part of her body with a wet rag.”

Kurumu whimpered, trembling as Tsukune hungered for the image she had painted for him. It was almost as good as that time Morioka had envisioned something similar, which actually was not a very pleasant memory and why the hell was she doing this again? She shivered at another surge of pleasure, forcing her to lean up against the vampire for support. Maybe it made some sense.

“Hey! Kurumu! Heavy.”

Kurumu pulled on Moka to rock back on her heels. She took a deep, steadying breath before relaxing her hold. There was so much want directed upon her right now, and Tsukune was not the only source. Smiling she relinquished her hold and backed off a step.

“Sorry. But you two are feeling better now, right?”

Moka frowned.

“I was feeling fine.”

“Please. Both of you have been so depressing. We should be happy. We're going shopping.”

“Shopping? So that's the real reason.”

Kurumu threw a glance over her shoulder, annoyed that Morioka was already done with the coffee shop. He was not even regarding her, his wry grin directed at the nervous girl beside him. It was obvious that Nazohashi was not used to such attention.

“So, how many more stops before we get to where all the fun things are?”

Morioka snorted, nodding down the street.

“Plenty of stops, though we might want to skip the novelty stores for now. Not everyone frequents bookstores and souvenir shops.”

“Then lead on.”

“We can do your shopping first. What are you girls looking for?”

Kurumu glanced to Moka. She caught the girl's eyes, trying her hardest to tell the vampire to say absolutely nothing about lingerie.

“Um… we'll know when we see it. No reason to go straight there. Right?”

Kurumu sighed at Nazohashi's remarks, knowing by Morioka's grin that he already had an inkling what was on their minds.

“Then I guess we will go to our next stop. Shall we?”

Morioka thrust his hands in his pockets and strutted down the street. They simply had to follow his lead. Kurumu had no clue what they were going to do when they finally did find a lingerie store. Even if they did see one, it was probably not a good idea to spend the rest of the day walking around with bags of unmentionables.

Morioka stopped in four more cafes before moving on to the next block. Lots of creatures were milling about and the music was blaring from the record store next to the arcade. As both were heavily trafficked, Morioka pulled the timid Nazohashi along to make whatever pitch he had been selling all morning. By her account, they were actually doing pretty well and would be back next weekend to discuss specifics regarding the ads.

Tsukune had drifted closer to them as the crowd had increased. It was understandable, since Kurumu was slightly grossed out by some of the denizens of the street. The less humanoid ones did not bother with clothing, so it was mildly disturbing to know some of these were fellow students essentially running about naked. That would certainly make for an odd conversation tomorrow if any decided to talk to her.

“Tsukune? How you holding up?”

Kurumu frowned at the odd question from Moka.

“What are you worried about now?”

“It's a lot to take in. I've never seen so many monsters.”

Kurumu snickered. She thumbed over her shoulder as Nazohashi and Morioka came out of the record store.

“You two are doing pretty well compared to her.”

Morioka grinned.

“What are we talking about now?”

Moka looked away.

“Nothing.”

Kurumu failed to see the reason to withhold this information.

“This is the first time these three have been in a monster town.”

Morioka chuckled.

“Well that explains some things. Maybe I should have been bringing Moka with me inside the stores after all.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because the best thing about bringing little lady here is that half the time she squeals over something and grabs me.”

Nazohashi gasped in disbelief.

“I do not squeal! It's… it's unsettling.”

Kurumu smirked at him, shaking her head.

“You're such a dog.”

“Wolf, actually.”

Kurumu held her hands out and gestured for the girl to come to her.

“Tora, come over here before he abuses you.”

“I am not being abused. He's lying when he says I grabbed him.”

“You did at first.”

“Once or twice. Moka, you understand. It's startling and overwhelming.”

Tsukune nodded enthusiastically.

“I understand that. I mean, at first I was like… wow. What am I going to do if these things decide to attack me? But now… it's more like what's next?”

Morioka grinned, waving a hand dismissively.

“Why would anyone attack you? Anyways, if you guys are comfortable with it, we could start splitting up to make things go faster. Tora-”

The girl blushed.

“Nazohashi.”

“Tora has a good idea of what to say. I'll take Moka and the rest of you can keep Tora company.”

“It's Nazohashi, Senior. Please.”

Morioka waved a hand dismissively.

“This is the news, guys. We don't have time for formalities. You can all call me Ginei.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Perhaps we should move along to the next location… Morioka.”

Morioka chuckled, wagging two fingers at her.

“You know what I think. We should play.”

Kurumu did not feel anything lecherous with the suggestion.

“What do you mean?”

“At Digital Dojo. You know how to play a game.”

Kurumu regarded the arcade across the street from the record store with a bit of concern. She had an old gaming system at home, and all the games were from her mother's generation. She glanced to the others for any direction.

“We should keep going.”

Morioka shook his head.

“It's too close to the lunch hour to even bother. We should hit the arcade now while all the diners are super busy. That way we can eat after the lunch rush.”

“I guess that makes sense. Tsukune?”

“Sure. I can do this.”

Moka laughed nervously, waving her hand dismissively.

“I've never played a game before in my life. I'll pass.”

Tsukune brightened up.

“But that's all the more reason to give it a try, Moka.”

“I don't really play games either.”

Kurumu laughed at Nazohashi's remark.

“That doesn't really surprise me.”

Morioka held his chin up as he regarded Tsukune.

“So how about it, Aono? Are you ready to be pulverized in Capcom Fighting Evolution?”

Tsukune grinned, holding up both his fists enthusiastically.

“I am very prepared for this.”

Kurumu held up a hand to her mouth, covering her smile. She had a feeling this was going to be very amusing to watch.

Walking in, Kurumu first noted the assortment of crane machines on her right. Prizes of all sizes were scattered haphazardly behind the glass panes, though Kurumu did not really care for stuffed animals. There were games with smaller hooks for pocket sized prizes like key chains and bracelets. Despite how many of these machines they had, they were not seeing much action.

Beyond the cranes were the token dispensers. Morioka was already feeding bills into the slots, smirking as he regarded Tsukune doing the same. Tsukune's sudden confidence had Kurumu grinning.

There were dozens of other attractions like whatever that thing was called that involved rolling brown balls up an incline with the intent of getting the ball in a hole. There were a few hoop stations for scoring baskets and dartboards. And of course there were many different arcade games.

Most of the people here did not even notice them, too busy mashing buttons. Though it was never a sure thing with true forms, Kurumu suspected most of these guys were boys. It was odd to not get some attention, but the lighting was not the best. Other than the glow provided by the many screens which were flickering all sorts of colors, the place relied on the light drifting in from the street.

The many different songs and sound effects drowned out the melody she could hear playing from the overhead speakers. This jumbled symphony would occasionally be interrupted by a shout of satisfaction. After an obligatory fist pump, the button mashing would continue.

Hanging back with the other girls, Kurumu followed after Morioka as he guided Tsukune to the Capcom challenge. Both boys grinned at each other, confident in victory as they took their places in front of the screen.

“You sure you want to do this?”

“I'm ready if you are.”

“Then how about we make a wager.”

“What sort of wager?”

“Winner gets Moka.”

Kurumu snickered as both the girls beside her made sounds of protest.

“Sure, why not.”

“Tsukune!”

“Don't worry, Moka. This guy has no chance.”

“I like the confidence, Tsukune. I'll feel bad taking it away.”

Tsukune smirked, dropping in his tokens and selecting his character. Once Morioka had done the same, the screen whisked off to a location before revealing the two sprites, prepared for battle.

The screen flashed fight and the two stocky men came to blows. Tsukune rolled his stick and hit the buttons without hesitation, tearing into the opponent with perfectly timed breaks and attacks. Though Morioka clearly was making an effort, he failed to land even a single blow in the first round.

“Beginner's luck.”

Tsukune smirked as the second round started. This time Morioka started out fairly well, taking Tsukune down a quarter of his life before the tables quickly turned to another one sided thrashing.

“Best of three.”

“Sure.”

Tsukune shrugged as Morioka popped in more tokens and selected another male character. Unlike the first selection, this sprite was clearly an American.

The round started. Morioka pulled out all the stops, throwing all sorts of special moves which Tsukune easily canceled and countered. This time it ended up with back to back perfect victories.

“Wait! Best of five and I'm playing Ryu this time.”

Tsukune chuckled.

“I can beat Ryu.”

“Not if you have to play as Zangief.”

“I'm not going to lose six matches against Ryu with Zangief.”

“We'll see about that.”

They certainly did. Zangief might look human, but that beast of a man destroyed Morioka in ways that had Kurumu flinching with imagined pain. Morioka regarded the screen in dumbfounded shock while Tsukune allowed the game to forfeit the next match to the computer against some Chinese girl character. The victory dances for the girl and Zangief were both amusing.

Having recollected his thoughts, Morioka gestured to Moka.

“I have an idea. How about I beat you for a date.”

Nazohashi pouted.

“Senior.”

“Would you rather I challenge you?”

“Um… no.”

“So how about it, Moka?”

Tsukune smirked.

“I think she could beat you.”

“But I've never played a game before, Tsukune.”

“I'll show you how.”

Kurumu stepped in closer, simply to see the character select screen better. She noticed a small section labeled as Darkstalkers and gestured at it.

“So… what's that?”

“That? Oh, Darkstalkers. I wonder if they have the whole game here.”

Morioka wagged his hand dismissively.

“That's an old game. Come on, pick a character already?”

“Let her at least have a practice game first.”

“Practice game?”

“Just one. Here, I'll pay for it.”

Tsukune dropped tokens into both player slots, picking Bison.

“Now, go ahead and pick Chun Li.”

“Which one is… oh, okay.”

“Now, I'm going to show you what she can do.”

Slipping up behind Moka, Tsukune reached around the vampire to hold her hands on the stick. With a slight motion and the push of one of the yellow buttons, the girl on the screen did an upside down spin kick. Changing up the motion and hitting a button from the blue row caused the girl to throw a wadded white towel across the screen.

Noticing the flush cheeks of the vampire, Kurumu stepped in closer so that she could rest a hand on the small of his back. She noticed him turn his head, but watched her hand as she rubbed gently.

“Um… yea. And if you do this.”

With a little button mashing the girl whipped into a flurry of kicks.

“That's cheap.”

Tsukune shrugged, releasing Moka's hands so that the vampire could practice the moves without his help.

“She's a beginner.”

“Have her pick someone else.”

“Afraid you can't beat a beginner?”

They watched as Moka pummeled Bison rather soundly. It was clear that she had quickly picked up the basic moves.

“Eh… I'll play as Urien then. But remember. I win this and you owe me a date.”

Moka swallowed nervously as Morioka made his selection to end the continue screen.

Grabbing a fistful of fabric, Kurumu pulled Tsukune back a step. She turned him, rubbing her palms across his chest while regarding his shirt's logo.

“A little too close.”

“Oh… that. Well… I didn't think about it till you touched me.”

“Really?”

A sharp curse assured them things were not going well for Morioka.

“That's it, Moka. Even I have a tough time against Chun Li.”

“You even have a tough time with digital girls, eh? That doesn't surprise me.”

Tsukune scowled, pulling away from Kurumu.

“I win!”

“That's great, Moka. Remember it's a best of three rounds, so you have to beat him one more time.”

Morioka hung his head. Letting go of the controls, he turned about and thrust his hands in his pockets. He paid no attention as Moka easily defeated his character in the next round.

“You into shooters, Tsukune?”

“What do you mean?”

“They have Vampire Night. Basically it's a game of shooting enemies as you see them with a light gun. I'm sure I could beat you in a game of that.”

“I've never heard of that one. So… it's like Time Crisis?”

“They have Time Crisis Three here, if you'd rather play that. I just thought you might enjoy the story for Vampire Night more. Come on.”

“Okay.”

Sighing, Kurumu followed the boys over to their next conquest. Moka stayed behind to finish out her play with Nazohashi keeping her company. They turned about a row of machines, though she doubted the others would fail to find them if they tried looking.

Vampire Night looked like some cop or vigilante game, as there were plastic pistols holstered to the game. Dropping in the tokens, Morioka pulled out his weapon as the story began to unfold. Tsukune quickly joined in, though his face steadily grew more doubtful.

Kurumu smirked, crossing her arms about her chest. This game was about hunting vampires. Deciding this might not be something Moka would be happy seeing, Kurumu wandered back to the girls.

Moka had lost her match only seconds after Kurumu's arrival. The vampire sighed, looking about with mild confusion while the timer ran out.

“Where did they go?”

“Another game, though not something I'd care to watch. What do you want to do?”

“I… I guess we could get some tokens. Tora?”

Nazohashi shrugged.

“I've never been in an arcade before. We could try a few things.”

After hitting up the machines for tokens, they wandered about aimlessly. None of them were any good at the crane and shooting hoops was more for laughs than skill. Moka fared the best, but it was nothing worth bragging about when Nazohashi could not even sink a single ball.

That rolling ball thing turned out to be quite addictive. For some reason after getting a certain amount of points a bunch of tear off tickets would spit out of a crevice below the token slot. They were all fairly good at it. Within twenty minutes, they had a noteworthy stack.

“So that's where the girls are.”

Kurumu glanced over her shoulder and smiled. Morioka looked quite pleased with himself as he strolled over.

“Hey, Tsukune!”

Tsukune nodded at Moka's enthusiastic greeting.

“Always a pleasure seeing girls playing with balls.”

Kurumu smirked.

“I take it that you won the shooter?”

“I most definitely did.”

“It's a memory game. Anybody that plays it enough will remember where to be shooting, so it's not that impressive.”

“I still won.”

Moka frowned with concern.

“You didn't bet anything?”

Morioka laughed.

“Now that wouldn't be fair at all. Maybe with more practice I could feel better about challenging him.”

“I'll pass.”

“Nobody can beat the quickness of my gun.”

Kurumu shrugged, figuring if Tsukune did not care there was no reason for her to be impressed.

“So you can squeeze off your load faster. Big deal.”

Morioka smirked as he gave off a warm hunger for her. She could tell Tsukune was similarly aroused, though it felt weak and without much direction. She frowned at the boys.

“What?”

“She knows what she said?”

Slightly flush, Tsukune shook his head quickly.

“I don't know or care.”

“What?”

“Hey. I have an idea for you girls. Come this way.”

Mildly intrigued, Kurumu rolled off her last couple balls. Tearing off her tickets, she handed them over to Nazohashi since it had been her money that bought the tokens. Once Moka finished her game, they walked after the werewolf to a part of the arcade they had not seen before.

There were three large machines tucked away in the corner of the building next to the hallway for the restrooms. Each had a raised platform in front of a split screen. The platform had two sets of colored arrows pointing in four different directions. There was a red handle behind each station which helped separate the platform from the floor.

“Senior? What do we do with these?”

“Those? Eh, you can turn those in at the front desk and get something useless.”

“Oh, that's nice.”

“Trust me. It probably wasn't worth what you had to spend in tokens, though I suppose it would be a good excuse to speak to the manager about placing an ad in the paper.”

“This is DDR.”

“That's right, Tsukune. Wouldn't you like to see the girls play a couple games?”

The pleasant reaction from Tsukune assured her that he did. Intrigued, Kurumu grabbed the handle and stepped onto the platform. She looked at the screen, hearing an unfamiliar yet catchy song play while buttons flashed. Frowning, she glanced back to Morioka.

“It's a dance step game. You step on the button when it reaches the top row on the screen.”

Kurumu nodded, noting the demo showing a row of arrows scrolling up to a set row that did not move.

“So… this is a game of timing?”

“Yea.”

Morioka glanced at the other two girls, cupping his chin.

“How about you and Moka take the first round and Tora can get up there in place of the loser.”

“It's… Nazohashi.”

Morioka waved his hand dismissively.

“Lighten up. Go ahead, Moka. Unless you want to get up there, Tsukune.”

“Me? I suppose I could.”

Morioka scowled, grabbing the boy. Pulling Tsukune aside, he whispered something in Tsukune's ear that clearly stirred his arousal.

Kurumu smirked, thinking she had an idea what this was all about. Regardless of points, she was going to win this match.

“Yea, get up here, Moka. This will be fun.”

Moka reluctantly stepped onto the platform.

“I don't know what to do.”

“You'll figure it out. I'm assuming you are paying for this.”

Morioka smirked as he handed over some tokens.

“I always pay for a dance. Make sure to pick a harder setting. These things are built for humans, so the easy stuff will be way too easy for you two. And make sure not to step on those arrows accidentally. You need to stand in the center.”

Kurumu nodded, making sure her feet were right. She glanced at Tsukune and smiled. She dropped in the tokens for both their stations. She did not recognize anything on the menu as she scrolled down the options. Shrugging, she selected something with a hard difficulty.

The music started and for the first couple seconds it was easy enough to step on the right pad. But then there was a whole bunch of steps and she was hitting them late and stepping on the wrong ones. She worried for a moment but laughed at how poorly Moka was also doing. Giggling, she put a little more effort to stomping about. This was clearly a game of memorization.

When the end finally rolled up, she was mildly disappointed her score was the lesser. Not tired in the slightest, Kurumu giggled as she grabbed the rail and stepped down. With a sweeping gesture, she surrendered her spot to the timid Nazohashi.

Morioka smiled as he handed over some tokens to Nazohashi.

“Try a different song, else Moka will easily beat you.”

Nazohashi frowned, stepping onto the platform.

“I don't really care if she beats me.”

The girl dropped her tokens in, but started to scroll through the song list.

Grinning, Kurumu pushed Morioka on his shoulder.

“Not as good as you hoped?”

“I was watching Moka.”

Kurumu pouted, supposing that could be true. She had not felt anything resembling a surge of lust for her, despite all her bouncing. Turning her frown on Tsukune, she pushed his shoulder.

“What about you?”

Tsukune smiled sheepishly.

“It looked difficult.”

Kurumu sighed, pressing a hand to her chest.

“You should pay better attention next time I'm up there.”

Morioka chuckled as the next game began. Nazohashi clearly did not have anything resembling coordination as she toe tapped everything as if she were playing a whack a mole game. Oddly, it looked like she was doing better than Moka despite the odd approach.

“Kurumu. If we paid attention to you, wouldn't that make your score way worse than what it had been?”

Kurumu giggled, supposing the werewolf was right about that. Drawing her hands behind her head, she jutted her chest out proudly. They even bounced slightly with the simple gesture, capturing their attention. She shivered at the simmering desire for her body.

“Tsukune. You don't mind if I ask something personal?”

“Huh?”

“Would you be willing to let me borrow her?”

“What?!”

“Hey!”

“At least tell me the size.”

“Size?”

“Surely you know the size of your girlfriend's assets.”

Tsukune flushed, looking away.

“I don't know that.”

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head.

“You know you could have looked the other day.”

Tsukune flushed an even darker shade of red.

A timid tap on her shoulder caught Kurumu's attention. Moka panted slightly, gesturing to the game.

“Your turn.”

Morioka grinned.

“How about Moka's assets then? Know them?”

Kurumu scowled.

“He wouldn't know that.”

“What are we talking about?”

Kurumu gripped her breasts, giving them a slight squeeze.

“These.”

The vampire blushed, glancing away.

“That's stupid. Boys shouldn't talk about that stuff.”

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head.

“I'm pretty sure lots of boys talk about that. Possibly yours in particular.”

“Um… next game?”

Kurumu glanced up at Nazohashi and grinned.

“Take her for an example. Clearly she's an A.”

“What?”

“Breasts.”

Nazohashi's eyes widened. She reflexively crossed her arms over her chest.

“No! That's not right at all!”

Morioka chuckled.

“That's a bit rude. Though if we are guessing sizes, I'd say Moka is D.”

The vampire blushed, turning her back to him.

“I'm not going to say if that is true or not.”

“I'm a good judge of size.”

Kurumu smirked. The guy clearly had no idea what he was talking about. They were talking cup sizes, which were not even close to being universal. Not all B cups were created equal, which had a lot to do with band size.

Kurumu had measured herself last night to make sure she came with the right numbers. It was two measurements below the bust and across the widest girth. Rounding the smaller size up to the nearest five centimeter increment was the band size. Rounding down was simply uncomfortable.

Cup size was then determined by the difference of the larger measurement and whichever band size decided upon. So technically depending on how snug she wanted her band size to be, Kurumu could be two entirely different cup sizes. This was quite important, since her exact size was rarely available even in store catalogs.

“I doubt you even have a clue what you are talking about.”

“Oh, I have a good feel for this.”

Kurumu smirked, turning slightly from him.

“I’ll give you one guess.”

“You? Hmm. F?”

Kurumu was genuinely surprised. He was actually correct. Last year she could squeeze nicely into an F, so everything she owned was an F. But the only reason she was able to wear those things now was because they had stretched from use.

Grinning, she glanced at Tsukune. It was a good thing he had not checked out her lingerie, else she would have been forced to concede Morioka’s accuracy.

“Nope. I’m a G75. As in the Goddess.”

Morioka chuckled.

“Well, Goddess, get your tush up there before Tora runs off from embarrassment.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“Senior.”

“Oh yea. Here's more tokens.”

The girl looked down at his hand, clearly wanting to say something. Sighing, she grabbed up a couple coins and turned about to face the machine. Dropping the tokens in, she started to scroll through the songs.

Kurumu chuckled, figuring she should get up there before the song started without her. Gripping the handle, she hopped onto the platform with an extra bounce. She could already tell this was going to be quite stimulating.

* * *

Kurumu scooted the blouses aside, scraping the plastic hanger across the shiny metal bar. Finally they were doing what they had set out this morning to do. For some reason she had pictured ending up in a dedicated lingerie store, though she realized now how uncomfortable that would have made Tsukune. Morioka would have enjoyed it.

Breathless, they had started out of the arcade only for Kurumu to stop them at a familiar title. She recalled Initial D being a cartoon so seeing it as an arcade game had been intriguing. That and she had always loved the old racing games.

After having all the controls explained, she raced against Morioka a couple times before getting a good feel for the game. After that, she figured out a couple tricks with the pedals and steering that allowed her to squeak out a victory against the werewolf. Officially out of the mood for gaming, Morioka had walked out, forcing them to follow.

On the way to the ticket exchange booth, Tsukune had spied the Darkstalkers game and explained a little about it. Kurumu had wanted to play it, since one of the characters was a succubus, but Tsukune had used the last of his tokens for DDR and Morioka refused. Morioka complained that the werewolf in Darkstalkers was terrible.

Nazohashi had claimed a whole set of key ring figures from Keroro Gunso. Kurumu had never heard of it, but the little frog creatures were really cute. Nazohashi had kept three while handing off what she said was Giroro to Moka. Kurumu had been handed the Kururu, which was not nearly as amusing as Nazohashi thought it had been.

After Morioka succeeded in selling another ad, they had gone further down the street to a delicatessen called “The Raw Deal”. They all had been squeamish about ordering off the rare menu, so Morioka had ordered up something mild. When the food had been served, it had been hard not to laugh at her friends.

Morioka’s meal had looked like it had just been killed in the backyard and slopped onto a plate. The carcass still had some fur on it when Morioka took a large, bloody bite. With a crimson grin, he had winked at them before turning his full attention on the meal.

It had been a long time since she had enjoyed a raw meal. Some human food was great, but nothing could beat bloody slices of venison stuffed between milky bread. She often had to wipe the red juices off her chin.

The other girls had been timid at first. After a couple bites, Moka clearly enjoyed the taste, though she had quickly added that Tsukune’s blood was the best she had ever had. She had finished the rest of her meal without any more of the pleased mewls she had been making.

Nazohashi had to talk herself into doing it, which had also helped Tsukune commit to the meal. After a couple bites, the only real complaint Nazohashi had was that it was too messy. Tsukune, however, looked like he was going to be sick and had to order a couple drinks and a salad to ease his sensitive stomach.

With lunch finished, they had wandered the district for hours. As Morioka had suggested earlier, they had split up to cover more ground. It was good that they had as it was already after six and they still had not eaten dinner. They had just enough time to catch something to eat after they finished shopping.

But this place was kind of boring. All the clothes were very conservative for her tastes. And all the aisles were so close together that she had to draw her wings in to avoid knocking over things. She could see getting maybe one outfit here, but only if Tsukune really liked it. They should not have let Nazohashi pick the store.

“What do you think?”

Nazohashi held up a two piece outfit that consisted of a simple, white blouse beneath a dark green vest. The girl held it over her torso, smoothing it out as if that helped.

“I think you are in the wrong store.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“It doesn’t look nice? I was thinking I should get something since I had to throw away what I wore to church last week.”

“Where’s Moka?”

Nazohashi pointed off to the fitting rooms. Tsukune was lingering over there, his hands in his pockets as he shared nervous nods with any girl that walked by him. He clearly had that creepy guy feel about him as every girl gave him a wide berth. It was possible he was recognized from that incident Morioka had caused.

“I think these are good enough for church, right?”

Kurumu smirked.

“I am sure the priest will have no issue keeping a vow of celibacy if every woman in his audience wore something like that.”

Nazohashi scowled.

“You should show some respect.”

Kurumu glanced about. She spied the werewolf chatting it up with the lady behind the counter. He had already done his pitch for the paper, so she doubted he was saying anything worthwhile.

“Morioka! Your assistance, please!”

Morioka looked over with a frown. Saying something to the cashier with a grin, the werewolf stalked over to them.

“Yes?”

“What do you think of this outfit? Sexy?”

“I said this was for church.”

“There’s nothing sexy in here, but it looks nice enough.”

“See. Senior likes it.”

“She’s about your size. If we were going for sexy, she’d have to wear something like what you have on.”

“I wouldn’t wear something like that to church.”

“On a Saturday then? It’s obvious you have a natural tan, and I’ve seen your legs. Something tight like this would really change a man’s opinion of you.”

Kurumu flinched as his hand slapped her ass. Scowling, she slugged his shoulder, causing him to wince and back off a couple steps.

“That hurt.”

“You liked it.”

“No I didn’t.”

But on further thought, she might not mind if Tsukune did it. It just bothered her that Morioka was treating her like an object. She had given him no rights to such treatment.

“Besides, they don’t have anything like that here.”

“She was telling me about this place called Bows and Strings. It probably has things more in line with what you girls should be wearing on casual days like this.”

“Coming from you, I doubt it.”

“Do you think I would look good in tight shorts like that?”

Morioka grinned, regarding the shy girl.

“Of course.”

He turned and pointed at Kurumu’s shorts.

“Though you’d have to get the right panties to go with it. You can clearly see her lines.”

“What?!”

“Briefs, right?”

Kurumu blushed, holding her hands down at the sides of her shorts. While she was aware that the line was notable, she had never thought any guy would ever be so rude as to point it out.

“I’d suggest a thong, or at least a bikini cut.”

“What sort of sick lech are you?”

“What?”

“Do you stalk the lingerie section often?”

“Ms. Kurono. Show him some respect.”

“He’s talking about panties, Nazohashi. What is there to respect?”

“It’s just underwear.”

Morioka laughed, wagging his hands at the girl.

“You should run along and try that on. We have to go somewhere else for the things I am thinking you should be wearing.”

Nazohashi bit her lower lip. Nodding, she turned away and started for the fitting rooms.

Moka emerged from the rooms, dolled up in a black dress that hung off her shoulders. It clung tightly about her torso, billowing out at the thighs. The vampire caught Tsukune’s attention, giving a smile and a curtsy.

“What is she doing?”

“Winning.”

“Fuck off.”

“Tsukune is too timid of a man for you.”

“And you have no sense of decency. Can’t you stick with one girl?”

“No point being loyal before I get the girl.”

“Why would any girl want to be with you when you give her no reason to think you can be?”

“Why does it matter if I’m with a girl or not?”

Kurumu scowled.

“Then what are you doing with Nazohashi?”

“Flirting.”

“Why? Can’t you tell that she’s confused about this?”

Morioka smirked.

“I can, but that only makes it more fun. Besides, it’s nice to have someone on my side.”

“Ugh… I knew you were doing this on purpose. But even so, I still think we could kick you out if you do something stupid again.”

“Kick me out?”

“Of the club.”

Morioka laughed.

“You can’t kick me out. I’m the president.”

“Tsukune can be president.”

“No. He can’t. Every club is required to have at least one senior member that acts as the club leader. I’m the leader and there’s nothing you can really do about that.”

Kurumu cupped her mouth, pondering the situation with this new information. She knew he could be lying, but that delivery had been very convincing.

“We could quit?”

“After all the effort we put into hunting down ads today? You think Tora will want to abandon all that work?”

“You bastard.”

“Please. You are making this out to be far more serious than it has to be. Right now my only concern is Tsukune.”

Kurumu frowned as she looked over at her friends. Moka was laughing as she eventually made her way back to the curtains. Tsukune was grinning.

“Tsukune? You mean with Moka?”

“No, just with him. There’s something not right about him.”

Kurumu shook her head.

“You’re thinking too much about that. He’s no different than Nazohashi or Moka.”

Morioka snorted.

“Moka reeks of power which only makes her more beautiful. Tora has an unmistakable feral scent about her. Tsukune… it’s almost like he’s human.”

Kurumu sighed. There was no point holding onto fears now.

“I was thinking he might be a witch.”

Morioka nodded with a thoughtful expression.

“Right. I had not thought about that.”

“Besides… what would you know about humans?”

“Me? Quite a bit actually. It’s other monsters that I don’t have a nose for.”

“What?”

Morioka smiled wistfully.

“You guys don’t know it, but I was in human schools until I came to Yokai.”

Kurumu laughed with disbelief.

“Really? You?”

“Yes, girl. I only have one more year of experience on those silly tourists. Though I did spend a lot of time hanging out here whenever I could.”

“So what happened? Did you get kicked out of the human world because you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself?”

“Yes and no. There was a teacher in my junior high that I was infatuated with. She had a very different air about her. Like an idiot, I tried confessing my love for her after my graduation, thinking I might have a chance with her since she was a young teacher.”

Kurumu was surprised at how nonchalant he delivered something so personal.

“You’re lying.”

He shrugged.

“Not exactly. It’s mostly true. Anyways, the teacher confronted my family and suggested to them that I attend Yokai to expand my horizons. Up to that point, I only knew about humans and werewolves. That teacher though… she had been something else. That was why my parents agreed it was good for me to come here.”

“So… you don’t need this whole coexist with humanity thing?”

Morioka snorted.

“Not at all. Humans are weaklings. I never lost a fight. I didn’t even have to take a fight seriously. But here. Let’s just say I was mad that my love was spurned and was looking to kick some ass.”

“Ah. No longer the top dog on campus.”

“There are some people in Yokai you do not cross. I learned that well.”

Kurumu supposed most of what he said was grounded in truth. Still, his words did not make her feel any better about what he had done. She did not trust him and doubted that would change no matter what he said.

“You still owe Tsukune a jacket and you wrecked one of Moka’s uniforms.”

“What?”

“I expect you to pay for what you did.”

Morioka laughed.

“Sure, I suppose that isn’t asking much.”

Kurumu frowned as a group of girls approached Tsukune. She recognized three from her floor and two from her class. That fox girl, Hiboshi, was poking a finger angrily at Tsukune.

“Now what is going on?”

Kurumu quickly walked around the carousels of clothing, aware that Morioka was following her. Tsukune was retreating from a scowling Hiboshi, whom had closed in and was now poking him in the chest. Nazohashi popped out of the fitting rooms in the outfit she had been trying on, clearly confused and concerned with what was going on.

Irewata was one of the two from the class, though she looked nervous about this confrontation. The other from their class was the girl that was taller than Tsukune. Her expression was impassive.

But the other two were clearly as outraged as Hiboshi. Both were shorter than the fox, but taller than her or Nazohashi. The plum haired one with the reddish brown eyes was about Moka’s height while the darker one had a countless number of short braids twisted into her scalp.

“… here! We should tie you up in some back alley and leave you to the dogs!”

“Someone talking about me?”

Hiboshi lost her fire at their arrival, glancing at Morioka. Scowling she gestured at Tsukune.

“Are you a friend of this miscreant?”

Kurumu scowled.

“Tsukune is my boyfriend.”

“No, he isn’t!”

Moka popped out from behind the curtains, fixing up her clothes quickly. She frowned at Kurumu, walking over to join them.

“Well… you need to keep your boyfriend on a tighter leash! We caught him skulking behind the girl’s locker room!”

Morioka sneered.

“Did you?”

The plum haired girl nodded emphatically.

“He was looking at us while we changed our clothes.”

Morioka stroked his chin dramatically.

“That seems a very serious accusation. Something worthy of expulsion.”

Tsukune’s face drained of color as he looked to the floor. Scowling, Kurumu backhanded the werewolf.

“This is your fault, you jerk!”

Morioka laughed, startling the angry gaggle of girls.

“You misunderstand me. As for you… do you have any proof?”

Hiboshi huffed with disgust.

“Proof? We all saw him! Isn’t that right?”

Every girl in the group but the tall one nodded. She simply shrugged. Irewata favored Morioka with a nervous smile.

“Well… you see… we heard something and when we came out… we saw Mr. Aono and so…”

“I was with Tsukune at the time.”

Hiboshi burned scarlet.

“What?!”

“I was with him, and we were not peeping. We were looking for clues about the missing girls. Right, Tsukune?”

Tsukune swallowed. He looked up and nodded. He averted his eyes when Hiboshi thrust a finger hard into his shoulder.

“Liar! I know he was peeping. He tried to run away.”

Morioka laughed, shaking his head.

“Of course he did. We heard you girls shout at us, so I bolted. I’m just a little faster than him.”

“So you both were peeping!”

Morioka laughed again, rolling his eyes. He turned a feral grin on the girl, pushing Tsukune aside to face the angry girl. His sheer confidence caused Hiboshi to falter back a step.

“I certainly hope you turned him over to the faculty. This is a very serious matter.”

“We… we told our coach about it.”

“Did you now? Because I’m pretty sure I saw you… you… and you take a battered young man and lock him in your gym storage room.”

The plum haired girl backed off a couple steps while the girl in braids hung her head. Irewata held a hand over her mouth. Hiboshi turned up her chin and regarded him with renewed resolve.

“So what if we did? He was peeping on us.”

Morioka smirked.

“You heard a noise and ran out to investigate. You yell at him and chase him down. You then beat him up and throw him in the storage room.”

The tall girl nodded. Her voice was low, yet rich and melodious.

“That sounds about right.”

“And you were there too?”

“He should have explained himself better.”

“Hard to do that when the verdict was already decided.”

The tall girl shrugged, offering no further defense. Hiboshi snarled, thrusting a finger at Morioka.

“You both were peeping! That’s the end of it!”

Morioka snickered.

“Prove it. Because I have plenty of pictures showing what you did.”

Hiboshi’s jaw trembled. Her yellow eyes filled with concern for a moment. When the plum haired girl grabbed her shoulder, Hiboshi slapped the hand away and pushed the girl aside.

“Netsuki? If he has pictures-“

“Shut up, Kumiko.”

“He’s lying. You’re lying.”

“I’d say in the least you would get a reprimand. Possibly expelled. Remember the rule of Yokai is that you can do anything if there is no evidence.”

Hiboshi scowled, backing off a step.

“As far as I can tell, you attacked another student over a false assumption. Don’t you agree, Nazohashi?”

Irewata gasped, finally noticing the class representative. Even Hiboshi winced, realizing the girl was present.

Nazohashi bit her lower lip, glancing at Morioka’s smug grin and then at Irewata.

“I… um… if what Ms. Irewata says is correct… um… Ms. Arashimideru?”

The tall girl looked to Nazohashi.

“You agreed to his assessment?”

“More or less, though Mr. Aono did apologize for looking at us.”

Morioka scowled.

“A confession beaten out of him. You still have no evidence that he looked through the window.”

The tall girl nodded without comment.

Nazohashi frowned.

“Well… can we all just apologize and let this go.”

“I will not!”

“But if he has pictures-“

“Oh, I have pictures. Isn’t that right, Moka?”

The vampire paused only a moment before nodding.

Morioka laughed, clapping a hand down on the fox girl’s shoulder with enough force to make her auburn curls bounce wildly.

“I suggest an apology then and we can all forget about this.”

Hiboshi shrugged off his hand and turned sharply on her heel.

“Ami, Kumiko. We are leaving.”

The two girls from her floor promptly joined the fox girl in her retreat. Arashimideru nodded politely to them before silently walking off. Irewata lingered, taking a step towards them.

“I’m really sorry.”

She bowed deeply, obviously to Morioka’s enjoyment as it was quite a view with that white tee barely containing her assets. With a slight smile, the girl cocked her head aside.

“Um… we wouldn’t get expelled over something like that, really? I mean, I only sort of watched.”

Morioka smirked.

“A cute little thing like you would never get in trouble. Now hop along.”

“Thank you. Thank you.”

With a couple more bows, the girl turned and nearly tripped over her ankle. With a little laugh, she hurried out to catch up with her friends.

Kurumu took a deep breath, glad that this had turned out well. It was surprising that Morioka had supported Tsukune like that.

“Okay, what gives?”

“Hmm?”

“You helped Tsukune. Why?”

Morioka favored her with a mischievous grin.

“A man can’t help out a fellow club member without his motives being questioned? I’m hurt.”

Tsukune cleared his throat. He stiffly bowed to Morioka.

“Thank you. Regardless of motives, I know you did not have to do that.”

Moka nodded.

“Thank you… Ginei.”

Nazohashi laughed lightly. She did a small turn in the outfit. It did look nice on her.

“So… what do you guys think? Nice, right?”

Kurumu smiled, recognizing the attempt to change subjects.

“Yes. It does look good.”

Morioka chuckled.

“Now that we are all friends again, go ring that thing up. We still have some important shopping to do before this night is over.”

Kurumu shook her head, having known it would eventually get to that. She supposed if Tsukune was going to forgive the guy, she could for now.


	15. Struggling with Order

This did not feel right. The sales clerk had told her that this was the right thing to buy if she had never worn a thong before. But with every step she took down the path to the school she could swear that hemline was slipping inwards. That was not where she wanted it to be.

Supposedly, this was a mark of maturity. She should feel sexier wearing this black, lacy bit of fabric about her most intimate of places. But all she felt was more derriere exposure than she was comfortable with and a nagging urge to drag that hemline back to where she felt it should be. This was such a mistake.

At least she had not spent a whole lot yesterday. Deciding against forcing the issue on Moka, Kurumu had purchased the lingerie with her own money. She knew she could get by with what uniforms she did have, since Tsukune managed with practically nothing. Perhaps they could make a routine thing of doing laundry together. She smiled at the thought.

Even being the lightest spender of the group, Kurumu had nearly zeroed out her emergency account. Not that six thousand was much to begin with. Still, she had walked away with some cute panties that she would love Tsukune to see her in. It was disappointing that the clerk had convinced her to buy two of this kind because she doubted she would ever wear them again to school.

She glanced over at Nazohashi, wondering if the girl was wearing one of those new micro-short style panties. Nazohashi had fawned over them, since they resembled colorful kiddie panties though with a touch of lace along the hem. Kurumu had decided to pick out a couple pairs mostly because they had been on sale and they did look comfortable.

Another glance at the girl and Kurumu had to wonder if those specialty bras had anything to emphasize. Despite the denial, Nazohashi had been exactly as Kurumu had guessed. The girl was thinner about the torso, making her a band size down and nearly in the training bra section. Short of leaving her blouse unbuttoned, nobody would know if that tiny bust was being pushed up.

The only good thing about being so small was how wide the selection at the store was. There had been absolutely nothing in Kurumu's size, and a quick fit proved that the 80E would require too much adjustment on the band for a snug hug. Considering her options for that size on the sales floor, Kurumu had settled for a store catalog.

Moka had been the big spender, racking up nearly seventy thousand between the two stores. After the checkout at Bows and Strings, the vampire had expressed disappointment in herself for getting so carried away. Apparently she had never spent that much in a single outing before.

Kurumu suspected Moka had no concept of money. The girl had bought nine panties, a slip, a cute set of pajamas and four bras while also getting that dress she had been modeling for Tsukune along with two other outfits from the Clique. It was practically an entire wardrobe.

The major thing they had completely forgotten about was shoes. When she had mentioned it, neither of the other girls had cared much about the fashion of footwear. Even though she eventually convinced Nazohashi the value of a girl of short stature owning a good pair of heels, the class representative confessed to being frightened at the thought of spending any more than the thirty thousand she had already put on her father's credit card.

“You've been quiet today, Kurumu.”

Kurumu glanced at Tsukune and smiled slightly. By the end of the night, it had looked like he was getting along with Morioka, even if that braggart was annoying and needed another one of Moka's power kicks to his head. Surprisingly Morioka had not made a big fuss about having to wait outside while they shopped at Bows and Strings.

“Is there something on your mind?”

Hell, why not?

“Those panties I bought yesterday are bothering me.”

She smiled, content with his reaction. Noting his timid withdrawal, she hopped in closer to him, seizing up his arm. Without his jacket, she could easily feel the warmth of his arm through the thin dress shirt.

“Hey!”

As Moka protested and took hold of Tsukune's other arm, Nazohashi snorted.

“Are you an idiot? You're supposed to wash anything you buy from a store before wearing it.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Why?”

“Because people try things on in stores.”

Kurumu laughed.

“I don't think anyone was trying on panties.”

“I… uh… you still should wash them. People touch those. It was not like they were in some air tight package.”

Kurumu huffed, turning her nose away.

“I doubt washing them would make the issue go away.”

Nazohashi smirked.

“Are you wearing those?”

Tsukune's interest swelled up as he swallowed.

“Those?”

“You want to see them?”

Nazohashi scowled, clutching her schoolbag by the handles.

“Ms. Kurono. I would suggest you save your flirting for less public places.”

“Yea! And… and… I don't think Tsukune should be looking up your skirt.”

Kurumu shrugged at Moka's protest.

“Who said anything about looking up my skirt? This thing is driving me crazy. I was thinking about taking it off.”

She shivered with delight at the lust directed at her. Kurumu sighed, clutching tighter to him and leaning her head against his shoulder.

“You are an idiot. These skirts are way too short to be walking around without any panties on.”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out.

“I bet Moka did not wear any of her new things today.”

“Um… no. I didn't.”

That had nothing to do with choice. It had been after nine when they finally got back to the dorms. Moka had gone straight to bed. When Kurumu had roused the vampire this morning, all her things were still in bags. Perhaps not wanting to go through the trouble of picking what to wear, Moka had settled for the stuff already neatly folded in her closet.

As they stepped out of the forest, Kurumu saw many students milling about the four boards flanking the perimeter wall. Two of these rectangular cork boards were stationed on each side. She could tell something had been tacked to the signs, causing her heart to sink. By the mixed expressions of joy and depression on the faces of the gathered students, Kurumu knew the assessment scores had been posted.

“You know what we need to do.”

Nazohashi glanced over at her, mildly intrigued.

“Swimsuits. Moka doesn't even own one.”

“But Moka… she can't swim.”

Nazohashi frowned at Tsukune.

“She can't swim? I thought vampires were one of the most powerful creatures of the supernatural. Surely they could figure out swimming.”

Moka pouted.

“I can't, Tora.”

“I wonder what sort of swimsuit you own.”

Nazohashi shrugged, turning away to approach the signs. As she wandered off, she pulled out the strap for her schoolbag to sling it about her shoulder.

“I didn't bring it with to school. No reason to.”

Kurumu sighed as Moka separated from Tsukune to also get a look at the boards. Kurumu could not delay the truth any longer. She only hoped her score was higher than a collective one seventy five, though she might still end up taking supplementary classes for any subjects lower than a “C”.

The first thing she noticed was that the list was not continuous. The faculty had decided to break things down by homerooms, which meant there were three lists posted on each board. Above each list was a large sign indicating which class the list pertained to. This made it much easier to find a name. Next to each name was the score and the respective ranking in the entire freshman grade.

Kurumu did not recognize a Mr. Gyousan, though since Mr. Umatobi's class was on the board, she guessed that all the history teachers were grouped together. Kurumu sighed again, noting that the first name on her class roster was Nazohashi with two thirty four and ninth overall. Right below her was Moka with two thirty one and thirteenth.

Nazohashi squealed as she hopped over to Moka. The vampire pouted at the boards, unaware that the class representative was about to hug her enthusiastically. Moka staggered a moment, but Nazohashi quickly drew back, capturing both the vampire's hands in hers.

“We're the top of class! Isn’t that wonderful?”

Kurumu bristled with jealousy as many boys started chiming in with remarks about Moka's beauty and her intelligence. She skimmed through the list, quickly finding Tsukune's name about halfway down their roster. He scored two hundred and ranked one twenty eighth.

Kurumu released Tsukune to present him to the celebrating girls, albeit it did seem like Moka was reluctantly going along with it.

“It's just an assessment. Tsukune had an average score.”

Tsukune sighed, hanging his head. Nazohashi promptly stopped bouncing with Moka's hands. Letting Moka go, she shrugged.

“Well… maybe he doesn't test well. He did admit to testing poorly on his entrance exams.”

Moka perked up.

“I would gladly help you study, Tsukune.”

Tsukune looked up, favoring the vampire with a weak smile.

“Really? I would very much appreciate that.”

“And in return, can I suck your blood?”

Kurumu thrust out a hand in front of Moka.

“There will be none of that. I'm sure you had plenty of blood yesterday at lunch.”

Moka smiled wistfully, her emerald eyes glossing over.

“That was the juiciest ever…”

Moka's mouth hung slightly open, the tip of her tongue touching her fangs. Her eyes lazily drifted over to Tsukune. The vampire abruptly shook her head.

“But Tsukune's blood is still the best!”

“Have you noticed your ranking, Kurumu?”

Kurumu was about to protest more about Moka's unreasonable requests, but realized Nazohashi had addressed her by first name again. Intrigued, she mildly glanced at the girl whom was regarding her with an apologetic smile. Confused, Kurumu looked up at the board.

“Well I'm sure I did better than some people. I mean we have people like Shirayuki-”

Two hundred seven while ranked ninety sixth. Better than Tsukune? That was unexpected.

“Well Genzouyaki-”

One eighty five for the rank of one eighty three. What the…? That girl slept through all the classes. There was no way she scored worse than her. Oh… there's Burumoto with only one more point and a rank of one seventy seven. There must be a lot of ties.

But glancing up the list gave her absolutely nothing beyond despair. Reluctantly she checked below Genzouyaki's name and found hers second to last in the class with a dismal one seventy eight and a rank of two hundred seventh. The only name below hers was Tamaishi with only four less points yet a whole sixteen places less. Many ties indeed and it looked like the order of ties was based off of alphabetical order.

“I'm… second to last?”

This sucked. Only three points over guaranteed she had failed at least one subject, if not two. She felt a tightness in her throat as she realized that her free time would certainly diminish.

“You could study with us.”

Tsukune placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned slightly, wanting his comfort.

“Ms. Kurono!”

Kurumu whimpered at the familiar voice, redirecting her attention to the twins closing in on her from the other side of the opening. She would guess the more energetic of the pair had to be Tarako.

“Ms. Kurono! It's Monday!”

Kurumu frowned, not recalling what that had to do with anything. While Tarako bounded in to stand in front of Tsukune, the other twin lingered at a safe distance from Moka. Tarako turned and favored Tsukune and Moka with a slight wave. Glancing back to her, the twin gnawed on her lip.

“Ms. Kurono? Do you think you could charm some boys to come to our pool?”

“Why would you do that, Kurumu?”

Kurumu glared at Moka. It was a good question that the vampire should probably think about, before asking such a stupid thing. Kurumu had yet to hear a good reason to help Tarako out.

“I haven't done anything. Tarako asked if I would and I think I told her to not bother asking me until Monday.”

Tarako nodded emphatically.

“And it is Monday.”

Kurumu snorted. She gestured to her group, including Nazohashi.

“Funny, but I was just talking about swimsuits earlier. And it seems none of us have anything to wear to the pool.”

Tarako pouted.

“Well… we do have school swimsuits somewhere. We might be able to find something in your sizes, though you could always lounge about the pool. We only need you to get some boys to go swimming with us.”

“Why does she need you to get boys to go swimming?”

Kurumu sighed at Nazohashi's remark.

“Do you really have no idea what happened with the swimming club?”

“I heard that the boys were scared off because the club was a bunch of mermaids. I also heard that you two had a fight with them.”

“That's precisely the reason why she wants me help. She hopes I will use my powers to convince a bunch of guys to become their victims.”

Tarako straightened up as she pointed a finger to the sky.

“Victims is such a terrible word. There were no casualties.”

Moka clutched Tsukune's arm protectively.

“Tsukune and I would have to decline. Right, Tsukune.”

“Um… yeah.”

Tarako waved her hand dismissively.

“It's not like you guys even have to come. We only need to borrow some life force. It replenishes after a day or two.”

Kurumu sighed, feeling like this was going nowhere.

“Tarako. I don't think I could.”

“But I know you can. You're a succubus.”

Nazohashi clucked her tongue.

“Now, now, young lady. Talking about true forms is highly frowned upon.”

“But you just said I was a mermaid seconds ago. Anyways, who are you?”

“You obviously lack manners. Normally it is custom to give your own name before demanding someone else's.”

“It is? I'm Unabara Tarako.”

“Nazohashi Tora. I am their class representative.”

The twin brightened up, though her faint green eye stared off dreamily.

“Our class representative, Kazuki, is positively delicious. I wish he would swim with us. Have you met him?”

Nazohashi favored the girl with a bewildered expression.

“Which homeroom teacher is yours?”

“Ms. Kagome.”

“Oh, you mean Mr. Hayate. He is very reserved unlike some people. Speaking of which, how did he do on the assessments? Top of your class?”

“I didn't look.”

The girl regarded the boards and grinned.

“Oh! You got one point more than I did, Ms. Kurono. Haraka is still upset for being the lowest score in our class. But it can't be helped. She's always been the dumb one.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“And… you're the smart one?”

Tarako brightened up, regarding something behind them. She clapped her hands together as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Oh! It's Ms. Ishigami!”

Kurumu had heard about the art teacher from Tsukune and Moka, though she had never seen the woman before. She turned aside, noting a tall, casual dressed woman walking through the crowd of students. The woman smiled, waved and carried herself like some sort of celebrity. Kurumu immediately felt something fake about this woman.

The woman wore a white garment that resembled a lab coat, since it had no buttons in the front. A smattering of black paint stained the sides of the coat, giving off a more eccentric air about the blonde woman. A black bandana was wrapped about her head, with blonde braids escaping the rag in a haphazard fashion.

The woman thrust one hand in a lab coat pocket while she smiled and gestured to a girl in the crowd. A blue blouse that zipped up from the bosom to the collar wrapped about her voluptuous torso. A long pair of ebony slacks stretched about her hips and down her legs. An ornamental, white belt circled her waist.

“Ms. Ishigami is so pretty and awesome! I wish I had her for a homeroom teacher.”

Like their home economics teacher, Ms. Ishigami was not a homeroom teacher. The only thing she handled was her art elective and probably some club. She hardly deserved such attention from the students.

“I'm going to go talk with her! I'll check with you later, Ms. Kurono!”

“Hey, wait up!”

Tarako ran off with a slight skip to her step. Haraka favored them with a dubious glare before hurrying after her twin. It felt like many of the present students were taking the departure of Ms. Ishigami as a sign to head off to their respective classes.

Kurumu shook her head, glad that the twins were leaving her be for now. She imagined they would bring it up again in home economics, though with Shindou around, Kurumu felt she could summarily decline without civility.

Nazohashi had turned back to regard the board. The class representative was holding her notebook in her elbow while jotting something down. Intrigued, Kurumu moved in closer and noted that the girl was jotting down the order of names with the respective ranks.

“What are you doing, Tora?”

“I need to create a duty roster.”

“Hey, look. It's that girl genius.”

Kurumu hardly felt Nazohashi deserved such a compliment. She glanced about the crowd for the speaker, but noticed most of the students were looking off at a tall guy that had three other boys hovering behind him. The man was sneering at some little kid whom was wearing a tall, pointed hat.

Kurumu had noticed the little girl before, having assumed she was probably a child of one of the teachers. The kid also wore a black cape with white trim that was tied with a dark purple bow at the base of the stiff collar.

“She's getting picked on by the class representative again. It's no surprise since she dressed like that.”

Confused, Kurumu tapped Nazohashi's shoulder. She gestured at the group of dark haired boys accosting the little girl.

“Who is that over there?”

Nazohashi glanced over at the altercation. The tall man with the bleach blond hair had strong features and a swarthy tan. With a sneer, he shoved the little girl on the shoulder, nearly causing the girl to topple.

One of the thugs sported his hair shaved along the sides with the center long and greasy. The boy snickered while the other two lackeys watched the crowd.

“That is Mr. Wanibuchi, though I don't recognize any of the guys with him. He's the class representative for Ms. Sunao. As for the girl, I would guess she is Ms. Sendou. He complains about her causing trouble for the class.”

Suddenly a rock hopped up from the ground and struck the blond guy in the back of the head. The little girl laughed but her eyes went wide when the man reached for her.

“Stop!”

Moka rushed in, throwing her arms out wide as she stepped between the two.

“I cannot allow this. There is no reason to resort to violence.”

Noting how starry eyed Tsukune got over Moka's declaration, Kurumu pouted. The vampire was playing on Tsukune's anger yesterday over how things were settled among monsters. Kurumu had half a mind to jump in there to at least scold Moka for making such an obvious ploy, though it bothered her that she had not even thought to stop it.

“I told him he should turn the matter over to the student police if she is breaking any rules. It's not like he doesn't have a member in his class.”

“Member?”

“My neighbor, Ms. Deshi. You remember DeDe? She's also in that class.”

“So… is she a trouble maker?”

Nazohashi shrugged, putting away her notebook and mechanical pencil. The crisis clearly had been averted, as the angry blonde walked off with his cronies in tow. Tsukune was walking over, likely to congratulate Moka over being such a nice person.

“Her clothes are an obvious violation, but she's so tiny. There might not be a school uniform available in her size.”

Kurumu sighed, shaking her head. Clearly associating with this little girl was only going to cause them more trouble.

“But the hat and cape…”

“I know. Clear violation but I heard she challenged Ms. Sunao on the first day to show a rule that stated she could not wear such things in case of rain.”

“Rain? That's not rain gear.”

“It is Ms. Sunao we are talking about. Ms. Sendou clearly is a trouble maker, but she has not been caught doing anything wrong. Mr. Wanibuchi has been looking for a reason to suspend her since she humiliated him on the first day of class.”

“How did she do that?”

“I don't know. How about we look at her class scores. I want to see how some of the other students I know did.”

Nazohashi wandered over to the next board which featured all of the Japanese instructors. As this only brought her closer to Tsukune, Kurumu tagged along with a mild look at the board. She might have heard of Mr. Hirojima, but Mr. Sawayaka was a new name. It hardly mattered as she doubted she knew anybody from either class.

“You know, of two hundred seventy seven students, only six did not take the exam.”

Kurumu wondered where Nazohashi had pulled that from, but noticed at the bottom of Sunao's list was a statement on how many students took the exam.

“Is there a point to that?”

“Just thinking it a little sad that you scored in the bottom quarter of the class. I didn't think you were that stupid.”

Kurumu scowled, backhanding the girl's shoulder. Nazohashi flinched, but smirked as she scooted away a step.

“There. Sendou Yukari has a perfect score and ranked first in our class.”

“Perfect score?! But she's just a kid.”

“Obviously any child that age in high school is here because they are exceptionally smart. Look, Ms. Deshi scored five points less and took the second spot in our class. That's a little annoying.”

“Huh? How is that more annoying than losing to a little kid. How old is she anyways?”

“I heard Ms. Sendou just turned eleven a month or so ago. Don't you find it more insulting that a foreigner scored second highest in our grade? Ms. Deshi doesn't even speak the language very well.”

“I thought you two were friends.”

Nazohashi huffed.

“I still expected to score higher than her.”

Kurumu shrugged, figuring any transfer student probably had to know a lot to be accepted. She glanced down the roster for the class, spying Wanibuchi as the eighth name in that class with an overall rank of sixty seven. Though she was in no position to say so, that did seem a rather low rank for someone representing a class.

“We should get to class.”

Kurumu nodded, glancing over to where she had last seen Tsukune, but did not find him or Moka anywhere.

“Yea, I guess so.”

She figured the two had noticed the time and headed for class. It would have been nice if they had waited up for her, but she was with Nazohashi. The abandonment had probably been justified by that reason.

Kurumu sighed. She supposed Nazohashi was not the worst person to be around, but it hardly seemed right that her boyfriend had walked off with another girl, friend or not. She would have to have some words with Tsukune.

* * *

Kurumu groaned, planting her head on her desk. She was never going to have that talk with Tsukune at this rate since Moka was stubbornly sticking around for every minute of this lunch hour. And with him sitting diagonally from her, passing notes in class would be too obtrusive.

This was one of those days she wished she had stayed in bed. Ms. Nekonome had spoken briefly over the assessments, letting them know that the homeroom teacher was responsible for catching those students up that scored less than seventy percent in any subject. The extra course would be held on Saturday mornings and would be concluded at the end of the trimester if they did well enough on their exams.

It was humiliating to have her name called out, though thankfully she was not the only student to suffer extra schooling. After listing all six of them, Ms. Nekonome had quickly clarified that the failure was primarily in the English assessment so the rest of them could stop snickering because it was a common issue in the academy.

While Kurumu was not too surprised Tamaishi and Genzouyaki would be sharing Saturdays with her, she had not suspected Burumoto or the girl in the front of Moka's row to also be in her extra class. Hanetsume was her name? Heck, she would have expected Hedoyami before Hanetsume.

They did get the other groaner though. That guy from her row was named Yamazaru. There was nothing too remarkable about the stocky fellow with the stringy black hair and the small, dark eyes. He did have what she would call a flat nose, as if he had fallen on his face repeatedly.

Smiling, Moka stood up.

“I'm going to get another juice. Want to come with me?”

Kurumu groaned, glancing at her wrist. There was not even ten minutes before the bell. Tsukune was already getting up.

“Moka, can't you go by yourself for something?”

“What?”

“It's not that big of a deal, Kurumu.”

Kurumu huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she sat back in her chair.

“She doesn't need an escort, Tsukune. I should be entitled to some alone time with my boyfriend.”

“He's not your boyfriend!”

Kurumu scowled at the vampire.

“And he's yours?”

Tsukune laughed, imposing himself between them during that intense moment.

“Why don't we all go together?”

“Why can't Moka go by herself?”

There was a pause as the vampire considered her words.

“I guess I don't really need another juice.”

Kurumu sighed, holding her head.

“That's not the point. What the hell do you think I'm going to do with him, Moka? It's like you don't trust me at all.”

Moka pouted, glancing aside. Forcing a smile, the vampire turned away.

“I'll be right back.”

Kurumu hated how this made her feel like she was a villain, but that girl needed to get a clue. Moka could deny the relationship Kurumu had with Tsukune all day long but it would not make that relationship disappear. Unless Moka was willing to make a similar claim, she had no business interfering.

Once Moka had left the classroom, Tsukune sighed heavily.

“That was harsh.”

Kurumu scowled, turning her attention to the window.

“It's your fault because you won't establish boundaries.”

“Boundaries? We're just friends.”

“Really? In junior high, did you hang out with your guy friends as much?”

When Tsukune failed to answer right away, Kurumu sighed and glanced back to his shoulder. She could tell her question troubled him, since clearly he could not reassure her this was a mere friendship.

“I want you to stop letting her suck your blood.”

Tsukune's mood darkened.

“It's not like she does it that often now. She hasn't done it once since Morioka made that scene in the gym.”

“Good. It hurts anyways, so I can't believe you were letting her do that.”

“Hurts? Half the time she wouldn't even leave a mark if I held still.”

Kurumu scowled.

“Are you joking? I don't care if you are going to act tough or not about it. I don't want you doing it.”

Tsukune sighed, hanging his head.

“I suppose it doesn't matter. I guess she can use anyone for blood when it comes down to it.”

Kurumu grimaced, caring little for his somber tone. Feeling guilty, she slipped out of her chair. Sensing he was off guard, she darted in and wrapped her arms about his torso. He stiffened as she rubbed her cheek against his chest.

“I'm sorry.”

“Kurumu?”

He tried to pull away, but she only held on tighter. She could feel a familiar desire slowly build within him.

“Moka needs friends, Tsukune. Can't you just leave it at that?”

“But we are just friends!”

“Then stop worrying over her drinking your blood. It's nothing special.”

“I… it's just… she said I was her first.”

Kurumu smiled at the remark. Surely that was an impossibility. Vampires needed blood just like she needed the attention of men. Tsukune had probably misunderstood Moka.

Kurumu drew her head back, turning to kiss gently at his throat. She giggled at his startled reaction, but loved how it stirred up his interest. Wiggling her hips, she rubbed her chest upon his.

“Don't be silly, Tsukune. She's too old for you to be her first.”

“I… you're right.”

And then he held her. While his grip about her shoulders was awkward, it was an honest moment. It felt so warm and wonderful. She closed her eyes, pressing firmly against him as she tried to remain still. She wanted him.

“Tsukune. I love you.”

He let go of her, taking a step back. Kurumu relaxed her own grip, settling to rest her palms upon his sides.

“How? I don't understand how you can say such a thing so easily.”

“Because it's true.”

“But we barely know each other.”

Kurumu giggled. The first of the bells rang, so they had only five minutes before the class began. She had not noticed before, but a couple students had already returned. Tomisaki was grinning and exchanging words with Dokiniji while Chousei and Natsudera promptly walked in the class.

Eyes meeting briefly, Kurumu shared a friendly wave with the sprite. Placing her hand back on his side with a gentle rub, she smiled up at him.

“I imagine that's how every relationship starts, Tsukune. It's not the knowing but the desire to know.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

Kurumu grinned, noticing Hiboshi walk in with Irewata and the tall girl. Not minding an audience, Kurumu stepped back in to place another small kiss on his throat. She pouted as he promptly drew back with enough force to escape her lax grip. Letting her hands fall to her waist, she clasped them together at the hem of her skirt and cocked her head aside.

Tsukune was flush, nervously looking at the doors.

“We really shouldn't be doing this. Moka could come back any second.”

Kurumu sighed, moving her hands behind her. She thrust her shoulders back and rocked on her heels to capture his attention. She grinned at her success, though aware Tsukune was not the only male in the room to have noticed her efforts.

“You know, I couldn't find any bras in my size last night.”

She could feel his sexual anxiety rising.

“You mentioned this last night.”

She smiled at a naughty thought.

“When do you do laundry?”

“Huh?”

“During the school week. Is it every other day?”

Tsukune laughed nervously.

“Um… no. I've been thinking I should wear some things twice so I only have to do laundry twice. I did the every other thing the first week and it was too much of a hassle.”

“So… Wednesday then?”

“Probably.”

“Then how about I show you everything when we do laundry together.”

Tsukune gagged, his desire for her spiking. The sudden rush had her body tingling with excitement.

“Uh… I don't know about that.”

Kurumu giggled, hopping in closer. She saw him tense up, his hands held up almost defensively, but she was fine with that. It made it easier to snatch up one of his hands in hers as she smiled at him.

“You're being silly, Tsukune. I'm not going to show you anything while I'm wearing it. Unless you really want me to.”

Tsukune smiled weakly.

“I guess I can manage.”

There was some hearty laughter coming from the hallway that Kurumu recognized. Letting go of his hands, she regarded the back door. As expected, Burumoto strolled through the opening, his expression jovial as he playfully slugged the shoulder of the more serious Tamaishi.

“You have to admit that was sexy, even if it was an eleven year old.”

Tamaishi shrugged with his usual dour expression.

“I don't see the attraction.”

Burumoto stopped at Tamaishi's desk, gesturing broadly.

“It's two girls going at it. Any hot blooded man would be thinking how nice it would be to be in on that.”

Tamaishi huffed, sitting down heavily at his desk.

“Not when one is a little girl.”

Burumoto nodded.

“I know, but it is Akashiya.”

Kurumu's interest perked up at the mention of Moka. She was about to ask what he was talking about when a very flush vampire slipped through the back door. Moka was holding a can of juice in her hand as she quietly crossed the room, her presence silencing Burumoto's glib tongue.

“Talk later.”

Tamaishi grunted at Burumoto. The young man stepped lightly to squeeze between Saizou's vacant desk and the one in front of it. He smirked at Kurumu with a slight nod before taking his seat.

Figuring it was past time for it, Kurumu grabbed her desk and scooted it back in place. Following her example, Tsukune picked up his desk and turned it about to face the front. Grabbing her chair, Kurumu smiled at the vampire.

“Hey? You okay?”

The vampire smiled meekly, setting her drink on her desk while taking her seat.

“I think I might have a closer understanding of Tsukune now.”

Kurumu had a vague idea that something had happened between Moka and that little girl, but could not fathom how that had anything to do with Tsukune. Deciding to let the issue drop, Kurumu sat down.

Glancing about, she mildly noticed Shirayuki had quietly slipped in. She favored her neighbor with a small wave and the girl smiled back. Kurumu had not thought much about it, but Shirayuki was also clearly in violation of the school rules when it came to the outfit. Sure, she had an acceptable skirt but even the little kid had managed to comply with that part of the dress code. And there was no way the school did not have something in Shirayuki's size. Kurumu wondered if she should say anything about it.

“Quickly! Order! Order!”

The students chuckled at the customary arrival of the scatterbrained science teacher. The redheaded Yougan with the broomstick hair promptly threw his hand in the air, though he did not wait for permission to speak.

“I'll have a bacon cheeseburger, hold the mustard.”

The platinum blond kid next to Yougan snickered.

“I already ate lunch, Mr. Hakuru.”

Mr. Hakuru scowled, waving his hand dismissively at the boys. The spiky white haired man had a slight hobble to his step as he made his way to the podium. He was not a very tall man, though his sparkling ruby eyes spoke of a madness best not questioned. He slammed his fist on the podium at the exact moment of the second bell.

“Thank you, Mr. Ikazuchi. Lunch is over. Now that those wretched exams are behind us, we can finally start to get serious in this class.”

By this point, every student was seated. Some were getting out notebooks when a slight movement caught Kurumu's eye. Genzouyaki stealthily slipped through the door and into her seat.

“As you may know, not a single student failed the science portion of the assessment, so I have no cause to hold back. As promised, we will be having a lab once a week for the rest of the semester.”

Dokiniji quickly raised her hand. Mr. Hakuru grumbled something, but gestured for the blond to voice her question.

“Mr. Hakuru. Will we be having labs on exam weeks?”

“The score for your exam will be a combination of your lab that week and the written portion. I see no value in science that is only known through a sheet of paper. Experience comes from experimentation.”

Yougan leaned closer to Ikazuchi.

“That's what my father said.”

Ikazuchi was not the only student to chuckle at the poorly whispered remark. Mr. Hakuru scowled, slamming his fist on the podium once more.

“I decided it would be best to assign your lab partners, since some of you clearly won't work well together.”

Kurumu would swear those two had some sort of invisible cue cards, since Hedoyami and Yamazaru groaned in perfect unison. Not that she disagreed with their sentiment, since she would hate to get thrown in a group with them.

“For the sake of simplicity, I found that an alphabetical order worked best. As space is limited, each group will consist of three students. You will decide among your group whom will be your leader though each of you will be responsible for turning in a copy of your assignment.”

The girl in the front of Kurumu's row quickly raised her hand.

“Yes, Ms. Tobuyoku?”

“Can we trade partners? I would prefer to be in whatever group Hatoko is in.”

Mr. Hakuru sneered. He pulled out a folded paper he had stuffed in his dingy white lab coat. Placing it on the podium, he smoothed it out.

“Alphabetical. No exceptions. Lab Station One shall be Ms. Akashiya, Mr. Aono and Ms. Arashimideru.”

Kurumu threw her hand up immediately. She had no clue whom she would end up with, but she certainly could not approve of this roster.

“What is it now?”

As intimidating as his scowl was, it was the sudden interest of the entire class that had her nervous. She had no idea how she could protest this.

“Uh… since I… yea.”

“Ms. Kurono. Would you please not waste our time.”

She had to say something that resembled a logical complaint. It was not like she was going to be his girlfriend forever. Eventually they would marry and she would take his name, so technically she should be in his group.

“Since I'm going to marry Tsukune, shouldn't I be in his group?”

“Kurumu!”

The laughter from several students had her quickly bow her head in shame. Had it really been that stupid? She could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment as even the teacher cackled with amusement.

“Short of that happening in the next week or so, I think you should remain in the group I assign you. That would be Lab Station Five with Mr. Izanai and Ms. Natsudera.”

Kurumu had no idea which guy was Izanai, but by now there were not too many unfamiliar faces in the class. She wondered if he was the guy sitting in front of Shirayuki. Even if it was, she liked the idea of trading partners, since she had almost landed in a group with Nazohashi.

“Now, where were we? Ah yes. Once I call out your group, I want you to walk over to the lab where we will continue our class. We will only be using this classroom on Mondays and Fridays from here on out.”

Mr. Hakuru paused for a moment. Frowning, he gestured to the back row.

“Mr. Aono, Ms. Akashiya and Ms. Arashimideru. You may go now.”

Tsukune promptly got up from his chair and bowed apologetically.

“Y-yes, Sir.”

“Lab Station Two will be Mr. Burumoto, Ms. Chousei and Ms. Dokiniji.”

Burumoto grinned, with a slight shake of his fist. The young man grabbed up his notebook and got to his feet.

“Lab Station Three is Ms. Genzouyaki, Ms. Hanetsume and Mr. Hedoyami.”

For some reason, watching Hedoyami make a similar gesture caused Kurumu to shudder with revulsion. Those poor girls. Mr. Hakuru paused, allowing Hedoyami enough time to waddle across the front of the class so as not to obstruct the podium or the doorway.

“Lab Station Four is Ms. Hiboshi, Mr. Ikazuchi and Ms. Irewata.”

That was clearly a mistake, though Kurumu suddenly wondered why it felt like every group had more girls than boys. She would have sworn that they had a more even distribution. Then again, Saizou was gone. Recalling his last name, she suddenly was very relieved that guy had been expelled.

“Lab Station Five is… oh. You three should have already left. Move along.”

Her only save from further embarrassment was that Natsudera was also at her desk. She still had no idea whom Izanai was, so the guy might have already left. She did note that the guy in front of Shirayuki was not budging. Pulling a notebook from her schoolbag, she got up and started for the door.

“Lab Station Six will be Ms. Nazohashi, Ms. Shirayuki and Mr. Takurami.”

Kurumu smirked as she stepped out into the hallway. Now that she thought about it, she probably should let Nazohashi speak to Shirayuki about the dress code. It was technically her responsibility.

* * *

Kurumu leaned against her palm, trying not to yawn during her final class of the day. Other than those few minutes alone with Tsukune, this day had been a total disappointment. She wished the bell would ring so she could move along to the club portion of the day, though she imagined Morioka would find a way to ruin that for her.

She had quickly noticed that the last two stations for their class had only one girl among five boys. Natsudera had been mildly inquisitive about the seriousness of the claim on Tsukune. Thinking that the girl would only doubt her sincerity, Kurumu had admitted that it had only been a week and she did not like the fact that Moka was going to be with Tsukune. Natsudera had made an annoying remark about Moka being able to do better, which had effectively ended further conversation between them.

Izanai had turned out to be that tall kid that was seated behind Nazohashi. He had a clean cut look with glossy black hair, the darkest blue eyes and strong, prominent features. The only downside was he had that same confident air about him that Morioka possessed. The guy even had the audacity to use his class rank as grounds for being their team leader.

The best thing about being in the lab was it drastically shortened the travel to home economics. She only had to walk down one flight of steps which happened to be right next to the lab.

Despite having more time for idle banter, Kurumu had decided against bringing up dress code when talking with Shirayuki. Instead she had talked about school in general and how things were going for the reclusive girl.

Shirayuki had not said much about school, not really caring about her scores. She claimed she had not seen the boards this morning. The only interesting thing the girl had shared was her plan to join the drama club Ms. Hitori sponsored. Sakamori had grinned so wide, pleased that her persuasion tactics had paid off.

Surprisingly the twins had not bothered her, sparing her the trouble of declining Tarako's offer. Kurumu still did not see why Tarako was so desperate to help her seniors get pregnant. She was starting to suspect there was more to the story than what that girl was talking about.

She had been mildly disappointed with the locker room. Even though she was certain her admirer was Morioka and she really did not want him looking at her, his absence meant he was not looking at Moka either. For some reason the notion that he had given up on Moka bothered her, even if she did not think he was good enough for her friend.

She had noticed that the little kid was not part of her gym class, which had likely played into her earlier preconceptions of the girl not being a student. Other than that, there had been nothing special about the hour leading up to this. Kurumu sighed, wondering when this would be over.

“Oh, dear, look at the time.”

Kurumu lifted her head up, turning her wrist to do that.

“Before anyone runs out the door, I want everyone to listen to your class representative. The duty rosters were to be assigned today.”

Kurumu had half a mind to throw a shoe at the groaners, though she probably would not want it back if she managed to hit Hedoyami's slimy hair.

“Ms. Nazohashi.”

The girl stiffly got to her feet, holding the black notebook she had been jotting in this morning. Nazohashi quickly moved to stand next to the podium, taking a visible swallow as she opened her notes.

“As some may know, part of our independence and school pride is taking care of the place where we learn. At the end of each school day, our classroom is to be cleaned by the students. This should involve sweeping up the floor, cleaning the boards and possibly the windows.”

“Some of us have practice. We can't be wasting our time doing this.”

Nazohashi frowned at Yougan.

“This should only take a few minutes and I'm assigning this in pairs. Every coach knows about classroom duties so it's not going to be a surprise.”

Kurumu perked up at the mention of pairing. Surely Nazohashi would be kind enough to pair her with Tsukune. Nazohashi had never challenged her status as Tsukune's girlfriend.

“So… there are twelve pairs. That's only going to be like two times a month to clean the room. I'm going to write this week's pairings on the board, so you can notify your coaches, club leaders, whatever.”

The bell rang. Ms. Nekonome promptly closed her portfolio, smiling as she quietly slipped out of the room while Nazohashi started scrawling names on the board. Several students decided to follow the teacher's example, slipping out the back door before Nazohashi could finish up.

Nazohashi turned about, frowning at the class. She cleared her throat.

“Rise.”

Many had already done so, but her firm tone drew attention.

“Bow. Dismissed.”

Nazohashi promptly pointed at the board.

“Tamaishi. You and I are going to be responsible for tomorrow, so you need to let Mr. Kotsubo know. Everyone else make sure to check the board.”

Kurumu quickly moved up her aisle. She stepped around Ikazuchi, touching his side as she deftly slipped by. Aware that she had his attention, Kurumu ignored him as she continued up the aisle. Yamazaru was still seated, allowing her to pass by the stocky guy without issue.

She had not picked up on it before, but both of the girls in the front row sort of reminded Kurumu of Ms. Hitori. It was something about their eyes. They had that same golden look to them with a vertical slit of blackness in the center. She had to wonder if the two actually had known each other prior to coming to this academy, since they seemed to have hit it off very well. It would not surprise Kurumu if the two turned out to have the same true form.

Hanetsume had her long, chestnut hair done up in a high ponytail that had a blue ribbon wrapped tightly up a solid ten or so centimeters from the base. She also had long, sweeping bangs that were pushed up by a black band wrapped about the girl's forehead and also clipped the top of her ears.

Kurumu offered the two a mild wave as she passed, making her way straight to the board. Tomisaki was hovering nearby and Yamabato came up to join him. The redhead looked mildly disappointed.

Glancing at the names, Kurumu saw that Tomisaki had been paired with Burumoto for Friday. She felt a bit sorry for Genzouyaki, seeing how the girl got stuck with Hiboshi for Thursday. Wednesday looked to be Yamazaru with Izanai.

Kurumu pouted at today's pairing. She promptly walked over to Nazohashi's desk, slapping her palms down on the surface to catch the girl's attention.

“Are these pairs permanent?”

Nazohashi paused for a moment. Slipping her things into her schoolbag, she nodded.

“I don't see a reason why to change those pairs. You two are friends.”

“Well, who did you pair with Tsukune?”

Nazohashi pulled the familiar pink and green notebook from her schoolbag. She pursed her lips and shrugged.

“I haven't really thought of all the pairs yet. I just based the first five off the rankings in the class, since that worked.”

“What?”

“Since I'm the highest, I paired myself with the lowest. When I saw Moka was second and you were second, I knew it wasn't a bad idea to go about pairing things that way.”

“And you think that will actually work? What about Hedoyami? Because that would be cruel if you paired him with a girl.”

“I didn't look past the first week. I'll worry about that later.”

Kurumu pouted.

“So I’m supposed to start tidying up the class then?”

Nazohashi glanced about the class.

“I'd probably wait till the rest of the class leaves. Don't act like it's that big of a deal. I'm not going anywhere so I can help if I must and I doubt Mr. Aono is going anywhere.”

Despite the reassurances, Kurumu disliked being paired with Moka for the rest of the school year. It bothered her even more that she had no idea whom Tsukune was going to end up with. As much as she wanted to complain, she doubted Nazohashi was in the mood to listen to it.

Once the class was emptied, Kurumu set about the task of cleaning without bothering to tell Moka the situation. Eventually Nazohashi went to the back of the classroom to tell the others about the arrangement. With all four of them working on the task, they were almost finished by the time Morioka arrived with a curious expression on his face.

While he clearly was intrigued at what they were doing, Kurumu wondered what the staff wielding girl lingering at the doorway was doing. The girl had slipped in with Morioka but had remained rather conspicuously at the door. Her mild, empty smile did not feel very encouraging.

Morioka walked over to the podium, leaning up against it. He waited for them to finish up, only sparing a quick greeting with Nazohashi. Once Kurumu set aside the broom, the werewolf deliberately cleared his throat for attention.

“I'm sure you have all noticed today that our posters were taken down.”

Kurumu frowned, glancing to the board. She actually had not noticed.

Rolling his eyes, Morioka gestured towards Deshi.

“This young lady here represents the student police. Apparently looking for missing people is against school policy.”

The girl frowned, shaking her head vehemently.

“No. Posters must be approved by student council. Very troublesome. Spent much time weekend taking them down.”

Morioka sighed, holding his hands out in defeat.

“Anyways, we can't be putting up posters without consent.”

“I'm sure we could get the student council's permission.”

“I already asked the president earlier today and he declined even the idea of me speaking with the council.”

Deshi held up a finger.

“Matter best left to faculty. Students focus on being students.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“So what are you doing here anyways?”

Morioka leaned on the podium, smirking at the ponytailed girl.

“She's here to monitor our activities.”

“What?!”

Deshi shook her head animatedly, waving a hand.

“No, no. Not true. Here to help.”

“You don't need to play it down, little lady. This club is all about truth and honesty. Just tell it how it is.”

Her narrow eyes opened as she frowned.

“But is true. Was ask since familiar to watch over and keep out of trouble.”

Morioka raised a brow.

“Familiar?”

Nazohashi frowned.

“What do you mean by trouble?”

Deshi offered a shrug as response.

Kurumu found it odd that Deshi had practically admitted to the thing Morioka had accused her of. Guessing the girl misunderstood something, Kurumu sighed and gestured at the foreigner.

“Nazohashi and her live on the same floor. So I guess that's what she meant by familiar, right?”

Morioka grinned.

“A freshmen? That would be why her face is new.”

Deshi frowned.

“New?”

“I guess even the student police would have to recruit new members. I'm surprised they sent a little lamb to do their dirty work.”

The girl's frown deepened.

“Not understand.”

“Keeping out of trouble is impossible for any group pursuing the truth. No more posters, but we will continue our investigation.”

Deshi shrugged.

“Have no issue. Do as must.”

Morioka snickered, regarding them.

“Getting back to business, it would seem our killer has claimed a fourth victim. Another freshman girl, Ms. Kisurusu from Ms. Zaiten's homeroom, was last seen at her archery practice on Saturday.”

Nazohashi grimaced.

“Please don't say it like that. It makes it sound like there's no hope for these girls.”

“With every passing day, I'd say them being found alive is less likely.”

Moka held up her fists with enthusiasm.

“We have to stop this person before any more girls disappear.”

Tsukune held his hand up though there was no reason. Apparently realizing this, he spoke up.

“Senior. Is there any pattern to the attacks?”

Morioka sighed.

“Unfortunately, these girls simply vanish. There really is no connection at all to the other victims.”

He smirked over at the unwanted visitor.

“Thanks to our posters, one of the girls living on the Kisurusu's floor noticed her absence over the weekend and worried it might be related to the other missing girls. This was promptly reported to the faculty when Ms. Kisurusu failed to appear for classes today.”

The foreigner wagged her hand dismissively.

“Not say not effective. Not approved.”

“Hopefully enough people saw the posters on Friday and Saturday so no other girls go missing without being connected to this incident. Chances are that these incidents will not get directly reported to us, so either I or Tora will have to harass the student council for information regarding future disappearances.”

“It's… Nazohashi.”

“I don't expect them to be forthcoming. The only reason I found out about this last girl was because I asked about our posters being taken down. Seems everyone is content letting the faculty handle the investigation.”

Kurumu scowled.

“Why isn't this turned over to the police?”

Morioka chuckled.

“What police? The town of Mononoke doesn't have anything resembling a police organization. The faculty handles everything within the school and for the town.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“But… isn't that stupid. This place is dangerous.”

Morioka shrugged.

“Believe it or not, a good portion of the faculty are powerful monsters. They should be able to handle most issues, assuming they can find the culprit.”

“Or want to find them.”

Morioka grinned, pointing at Kurumu for her remark.

“That could be the issue. That is why I don't want to leave this in the faculty's hands.”

Kurumu smirked.

“So where were you Saturday night?”

“Huh?”

“I know you were here at the school with Nazohashi for some time. At what point did you part ways to do your dirty work?”

Morioka rolled his eyes in annoyance.

“I'm surprised you are still thinking such nonsense. We need to be taking this seriously.”

Moka tapped a finger to her cheek.

“That is a good question. You were on campus.”

Morioka laughed nervously.

“Guys, she's only kidding. Nobody investigating a crime really is the one committing the crime. That's only stuff from movies to entertain you.”

“It's okay. Senior is okay.”

Kurumu frowned, glancing at Nazohashi. The girl was looking at the floor.

“If the girl went missing before dinner on Saturday, then I can vouch he was with me the entire time. We left the campus together.”

Morioka scowled.

“You didn't have to say anything. She was only trying to provoke me. I doubt she would believe I did it even if I said I did.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I don't know. I might believe that.”

His scowl deepening, Morioka walked away from the podium.

“Well, that was all I really had for the club today. You guys can handle the rest of the articles.”

Kurumu held her hand over her mouth as she tried not to laugh at how easily she had riled him up. The werewolf thrust his hands in his pockets and stormed out the door, barely giving the foreigner a glance. The girl watched him pass and waited a couple moments before slipping out after him. With both gone, it felt like a heavy weight had been removed.

Nazohashi timidly walked over to the podium, glancing at the door. Sighing, she set her notebook down and turned a couple pages.

“Well… main article aside, we do have a lot of other things to account for.”

Kurumu smiled as the girl started to discuss the finer details of what they would be putting in this paper. In a way, it almost sounded like it was going to be a lot of fun.


	16. Mischief with Magic

Kurumu smiled at Tsukune as she set her tray down across from him since Moka had already claimed the open spot next to him. Not that she would have wanted it since she felt this was the appropriate place for his girlfriend to sit. The only real benefit to sitting beside him was that she could be close to him without putting in the effort of avoiding his gaze.

It did seem like Tsukune was becoming more sociable. On his right, the slick haired Yamabato was putting away the last morsels of breakfast. The young man acknowledged her arrival with a slight nod of his head.

As Kurumu set her food down and politely thanked nobody in particular for the meal, Nazohashi gestured to the taller boy across from her.

“Mr. Yamabato has offered to help us with any additional pictures we may need for our paper.”

“It's no trouble at all. Don't expect anything special though. I only have an old digital camera.”

Kurumu frowned as she split her sticks.

“You are in the film club. Don't you have access to other equipment?”

“Not the first years. We’re expected to make due with our own cameras. Though some of the guys do have some nice pieces.”

Yamabato frowned, snapping his fingers. He shook his head.

“I don't remember his name, but there is this blond kid from Class 1-10 that is always walking around with his camera. Very nice brand with telescoping attachments. He had some excellent shots of birds in the woods taken from the roof. It was amazing the level of detail those captures had considering how far away he had taken them.”

Kurumu shrugged, not really caring about his enthusiasm. From what they had discussed yesterday, she doubted they would need a whole lot of pictures. Their printer did not possess color capabilities, so they would have to rely on headlines to draw in attention instead of flashy images.

As newspapers were folded and double sided, their page count would always be divisible by four. Nazohashi felt they had enough interest to give the last page and a half to advertisements. The girl already had plans with Morioka to return to the vendors that had shown interest to pin down exactly what sort of ad and costs would be acceptable. Without her around, there was little point showing up for club.

Recognizing that black and white killed all her initial ideas, Kurumu had conceded against having a fashion section. They had settled on dividing the paper up into sections involving academics, athletics, community and clubs. Instead of having each of them tackle an entire section, they had agreed it would be more interesting if everyone came up with at least one story for the respective sections.

Nazohashi had insisted leaving the final half page as a list of contacts for the readers. It was her hopes that students would contact them with future story ideas and requests so they would not have to go through this whole struggle every time they started an issue.

Obviously most of their ideas remained vague, but Tsukune had suggested having a spotlight on a whole club since they had already mentioned the idea of interviewing a faculty member. He had used the Judo club as an example simply because his neighbor was part of it.

The big thing Nazohashi had stressed was asking around for popular opinion. Basically for the next couple days, they were to ask random students about what was wanted to be seen in a newspaper.

Kurumu had worried this would be some boring survey, but she had been reassured that she was free to ask whatever questions she wanted. Unfortunately this made her feel completely directionless. She had no clue what she was going to ask even after spending most the night trying to think up good questions.

Kurumu whimpered at a thought, gesturing at Tsukune with her chopstick.

“We forgot to get pictures.”

“Huh?”

“At Mononoke. We didn't take pictures for your parents.”

Tsukune nodded with sudden comprehension.

“Right. I forgot we were going to do that.”

Kurumu pouted, regarding the vampire with disappointment. She could hardly believe all of them forgot about something so important.

Moka failed to notice the look or even acknowledge the conversation. The vampire was slowly but steadily stuffing wads of rice into her mouth. Her eyes were barely open as she rested her elbow on the table with her head propped up on her palm. Her jaw moved slightly with each chew.

“Sending pictures home? I saw a polaroid in our storage room.”

Kurumu frowned at Nazohashi's remark.

“But only Morioka has keys to that.”

“Oh, that's right. We need to have him make a spare set for when he's not around.”

“If it’s only a polaroid, I can do that too.”

Kurumu smiled at Yamabato.

“I thought you said you had a digital.”

“I didn't think you guys could use polaroid.”

“This is more of a personal thing.”

Tsukune grimaced.

“Aren't polaroids expensive? I wouldn't want you to waste your film.”

Yamabato shrugged.

“If it bothers you, I could charge a hundred yen for a shot.”

The boy chuckled, clapping a palm down on Tsukune’s shoulder. Yamabato picked up his schoolbag and got to his feet.

“Anyways, I should get going. Shouldn’t you have gone already, class rep? You were here when we came.”

Nazohashi waved her hand dismissively.

“We were discussing club matters, so that’s okay. It’s not like I’m required to be the first student in class.”

Yamabato chuckled again and gave a mild wave. As the boy walked off, Kurumu glanced at her watch. She did not have the time to pick at her food like this. Stowing a couple large mouthfuls, she chewed quickly and washed the rice down with the tangy juice mix she had selected this morning.

Tsukune idly thumbed at the red tie that hung down the center of his dress shirt. He had not been bothered at all for not wearing his jacket, considering several guys such as Burumoto only brought the garment along to hang on the back of the chair. But the tie looked terrible. Tsukune was probably the only guy on campus wearing that garish thing without the jacket.

“So how are things with the student police?”

Nazohashi shrugged at Tsukune's inquiry.

“I don't really know and neither does Ms. Deshi.”

Kurumu snorted after swallowing down a bite. After the girl had left on the heels of Morioka, she had not seen either since.

“It's not like she would tell you if she did.”

“Probably true, but Morioka is the only senior of us. I would guess this is an issue between older students.”

“You do recall Hiboshi was passing word around not to join the club.”

“I remember that and she might know why. Still it shouldn't matter if we stick to the rules of the school.”

Tsukune nodded.

“You mean like the posters?”

“Exactly. I can see about clearing most of our actions through the student council before we do them from here on out.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Are you sure we won't be harassed for asking questions?”

“Why would we be? It's not like we are holding an official survey.”

Kurumu nodded as she placed another wad of rice into her mouth. This make up your own questions thing was suddenly making more sense. Kurumu knew she had to finish up her meal quickly, so she decided to keep silent as the conversation continued without her.

“So you're going to be with Senior after class today.”

“After I finish cleaning the homeroom with Mr. Tamaishi.”

“We can help.”

“Thanks, Mr. Aono. Are you feeling well, Moka?”

The vampire shrugged, setting aside her chopsticks.

“It's nothing.”

Kurumu had to agree that Moka was unusually silent for being this awake. Sure, Moka had been difficult to wake as always, but the vampire had been quite coherent at the register. Actually Moka had been acting withdrawn since the little squabble at lunch yesterday.

Making certain to get another mouthful down, Kurumu gestured to Moka.

“Hey, I'm sorry. I was having a rough time yesterday.”

Moka looked up confused. She shook her head, wagging her hand dismissively.

“Oh, it's not that. I was… well… we're friends.”

Kurumu smiled at the odd statement, nodding her assent.

“Would you say we're girlfriends?”

“Oh, we really should get going, guys.”

Nazohashi quickly got up, slinging her schoolbag over her head.

“We can talk while we walk.”

Kurumu nodded. She regarded her half eaten meal, deciding it was not worth finishing. Setting her utensils aside, Kurumu picked up her schoolbag by the strap and slipped out of her chair. Fixing the strap so that it rested neatly in the chasm of her bosom, she regarded the vampire whom was also starting to get up.

“Are we talking slang or literal? Because I think slang girlfriends is the same as best friends, while literal is more of a lover sort of thing.”

Moka winced as she adjusted her schoolbag. She glanced aside.

“Maybe she meant the slang.”

Kurumu wondered what the vampire was talking about when Nazohashi started off. Kurumu gestured for Tsukune to follow before turning on her heel and walking after the girl. With the lateness of the morning, the dining hall was fairly empty. They would have to do some quick stepping, which sometimes got annoying if her bounce got too out of hand.

As she reached the door, Kurumu noticed that Tsukune was taking slower strides to be next to Moka. It mildly bothered her, but it did not look like the vampire was interested in talking with anybody. Figuring she could keep an eye out in case Moka got any silly ideas about sucking his blood to feel better, Kurumu slipped out the door to keep up with Nazohashi.

As always, it was a mild day without a single cloud in sight. Even when there were clouds, it had yet to show a hint of rain. It was not exactly the season for rain, but Kurumu understood that life within this spiritual barrier did not follow the seasons. This created an environment that would be suitable for the majority of the students. Her former home lacked such a powerful barrier to suppress the natural elements of weather.

Nazohashi glanced aside, not having to slow her step much for Kurumu to catch up. The tanned girl looked back at the other two and shook her head as she returned her attention to the path before them.

“We'll be late if we walk at their pace.”

“It's not that big of a deal.”

“But I'm the class representative. I can't be late.”

“You worry too much. You already got the top score, so I don't think they'll hold a few minutes against you.”

“Maybe you're right.”

Kurumu smiled. Two weeks ago she had slapped this little snot for treating her like a trouble maker. Nazohashi had been the example girl that looked down upon Kurumu all throughout junior high. Now the class representative was simply a silly girl obsessed with the image of perfection.

“You know we could go with you to town. You don't have to go alone with Morioka.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I don't think Senior has any intentions to cause me harm.”

Kurumu smirked.

“I worry what sort of intentions he might have.”

“I don't think he's a bad person. It was a misunderstanding.”

Kurumu sighed, doubting she could skirt around the issue. They were reaching the line of the forest and there were not any students around that were close enough to overhear much of anything.

“Tell me straight. Do you have a thing for Morioka?”

Nazohashi flushed, shaking her head emphatically with denial as she adjusted the strap of the bag slung about her torso.

“No, of course not! He's… I have to work with him… for the club.”

“Tora, I'm not an idiot.”

“Your scores say otherwise.”

Kurumu frowned at the curt remark, but curbed her tongue for the moment.

“There's no test on identifying a cute guy. Morioka is not bad looking. When I first met him, I sort of hoped Moka would take a liking to him.”

Nazohashi visibly relaxed.

“He does like her. I know that.”

Kurumu laughed lightly.

“I've been around with Moka enough to know a lot of guys like her. I just haven't figured out whom I can trust her with.”

With a glance over her shoulder, Nazohashi shrugged.

“She doesn't have an issue with Mr. Aono.”

“That's a different matter.”

“But he is the only guy I ever see her with. Have you ever seen her talk with a guy other than Mr. Aono?”

Kurumu had, but only because of that small tour of Tsukune's floor. Even then, she had done most of the talking. Moka was a puzzling girl. She had latched onto Tsukune fairly quick and clearly had no issues with Nazohashi, but she acted so reluctant to befriend anyone else.

“It's not good for her.”

“What? Being with Mr. Aono?”

“I want Moka to make more friends and to find a boyfriend.”

Nazohashi grinned.

“If I recall correctly, she was the one all over him the first couple days.”

Kurumu scowled.

“Are you saying she has some sort of claim on him? That's stupid.”

“I will say that you are more sociable with the boys than she is.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight with me?”

Nazohashi smiled softly, looking at the dirt as she kicked a rock aside.

“Not really.”

They continued on in silence for a few minutes. Kurumu would glance over her shoulder every few seconds to make certain that Tsukune was still in sight. It did look like the two were talking, but at least it was not the silly calling of names with enamored stares upon one another. Most likely Tsukune was trying to figure out what was troubling Moka.

It was not long before they were fairly deep in the woods. She smiled as they walked past that familiar tree where she had stumbled across Tsukune for what seemed ages ago. She had to wonder if he ever saw this place as something special.

It was not that much further up the trail before they came to an intersecting path that winded off to her left. All the way at the end of that trail was the bus stop where she had started this chapter of her life. She gestured at the pathway as they walked by it.

“Did you come here by bus?”

Nazohashi nodded with a slight smile.

“It was a little frightening, since I was the only one on the bus.”

“Me too. That guy with the mustache and long cigar had a creepy feel about him. I was sort of wondering when he would stop the bus and do something terrible to me.”

Nazohashi laughed lightly.

“That sounds like the same guy I had.”

Kurumu grinned, glancing down at Nazohashi's smooth, tanned legs.

“Speaking of guys doing terrible things, did you do laundry last night?”

Nazohashi frowned as they walked past the intersecting trail.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“You sly girl. You're wearing something special today, aren't you?”

Nazohashi glanced away quickly, her cheeks a mild shade of pink.

“Don't be ridiculous. I decided I should wash all my new things because I would have too much to wash if I waited till the end of the week.”

Kurumu stepped in, playfully bumping her hip against the girl.

“So if there happened to be a mild breeze that fluttered your skirt, we wouldn't be seeing any lace, right?”

Nazohashi snorted.

“There hasn't been a breeze strong enough to lift the heavy fabric of these skirts since I've been here.”

Kurumu smirked.

“You have a thing for him. You blush every time I even suggest it.”

“That's because you are rude and make embarrassing statements.”

Kurumu sighed. While it was fun to harass the girl over her obvious crush, Kurumu was not terribly thrilled with the idea of Tora chasing or being chased by that pervert. She figured Nazohashi should have a more logical approach to dealing with boys that showered sweet nothings upon her.

“Are you not used to the attention?”

“Attention?”

“Someone complimenting your physical appearance. He is doing that, right?”

Nazohashi's cheeks had yet to lose that flush luster, and the girl would not meet Kurumu's gaze.

“No. Maybe.”

“You've never had a guy pretend to like you before?”

Nazohashi bit her lower lip.

“I know he likes Moka.”

Kurumu sighed. She supposed it was possible if Nazohashi had always kept up that perfect, model student appearance. She might have been too intimidating to approach. It was not like Tora was bursting with sexuality. Kurumu was well aware that the majority of younger guys fixated on breasts. At least that was the common complaint other girls had thrown at her when the boys favored her with more interest than her bust challenged classmates.

She mildly wondered which pair Nazohashi had worn for that charismatic werewolf. After the scolding and discomfort she had suffered yesterday, Kurumu had decided to stick with her comfortable cottons today.

“So… do they feel nice?”

“Yes.”

Kurumu smiled, thinking she would try hers out after laundry night.

“Don't go showing him anything he hasn't earned.”

“I'm not stupid.”

“Morioka's the type that hits on anything not fast enough to run away. Don't believe a thing he says.”

“You don't know that about him!”

Kurumu shrugged.

“Better to play on the side of caution than regret.”

“That's a very negative approach.”

This was starting to get annoying. Clearly the girl was too naïve to understand the gravity of the situation.

“Well… do you want to have sex with him?”

Nazohashi gagged.

“What?! I'd be fine holding hands. Maybe even my first… kiss.”

Kurumu brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.

“It's very easy to get caught up in the rush of things. Tora, I've been there. I know how good it feels to have a guy that wants you. It's different, welcome and intoxicating at times. I often wonder how I managed to get through junior high with my virginity intact.”

“You? A virgin?”

Kurumu clutched her chest in mock pain.

“You too? I guess everyone expects a girl like me to have thrown that special moment away to the first chump I met.”

Kurumu smiled wistfully.

“I understand want. There's no shortage of guys that will want me. But I desire someone to love and to love me. I think Tsukune is that person. I know he wants me and he actually respects me as a person too.”

“Then… you understand how I feel about Ginei.”

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head.

“Ginei is nothing like Tsukune. I'm not sure if he even knows what he wants.”

“And Tsukune does?”

Kurumu frowned. She shrugged, unable to think of a rebuttal. Forcing a smile, she regarded her friend.

“Be careful. Things can go a lot faster than you are prepared for. And from what I know, Morioka is a very fast guy.”

“I'm sure he respects me enough to go at my pace.”

Kurumu shook her head, thinking about how quickly things could have gone with Saizou if she had not desperately turned his lust aside. She held up an open palm to Tora.

“Five minutes.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“That's all it can take. Probably less. Little bit of kissing and then suddenly he is touching in places you aren't ready to have touched.”

“I'd stop him there!”

Kurumu nodded.

“You have to. I've been lucky to keep guys charmed to the point of not putting me in that position.”

“So… how much have you done with a boy?”

Kurumu shrugged. She glanced over her shoulder, not seeing any signs of Moka or Tsukune. There was no way they should be so far ahead of those two. They were both taller and it was not like she was walking at a brisk pace. She sighed. At least the conversation was different than any she had ever engaged in before.

“Not much. Kissing and holding hands mostly. I've done a little cuddling and encouraged my chest being groped, but… nothing below the waist.”

Nazohashi blushed at the final remark.

“Don't worry. I think I can keep things under control.”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head.

“My charm was the only reason it was under control. I'm seriously worried for you. You don't have my charming ability.”

“I'm not going to let him do anything!”

Kurumu smiled. She bounced her hip against the girl one more time, since Nazohashi was very flustered and tense. The girl scowled at the bump but at least she did not look too upset.

They were nearing the school as they could see the building through the thinning trees. The path started to widen out and the trees shortened until they finally came out into the clearing with the perimeter wall and the four boards. The lists had already been taken down.

Kurumu glanced at her wrist, realizing they had no chance of making it to their classroom before the first bell. That did not mean they were late, but she had heard from Moka that some schools would close the perimeter gate at the sound of the first bell. If there was a gate here, Kurumu had not seen it ever used.

A couple students rushed around them, intent for the main doors. Kurumu noticed quite a few students ahead of them, though most were about to enter the main building. Many students would linger in the courtyard if they had nothing pressing to do in the class, but the first bell sounded out just as they crossed through the opening of the perimeter wall.

They had not taken but four steps into the compound when a familiar figure crossed their path. The pointed hat gave away the little girl's identity more surely than a name tag. As the girl approached them, Kurumu noticed that Yukari possessed notably different attire beneath that cloak. Her blouse had no buttons, yet had two matching trims so it did not look like it was a pullover. There was probably a small zipper hidden on the inside seam. Also her cuffs were outrageously pronounced considering how tiny those long sleeves were.

“You are familiar.”

The little girl pointed a glossy, pink racket at Kurumu. Only the racket had sparse netting, so it did not look very useful for tennis. Actually the border was shaped like a heart and the string was pulled about into the image of a five pointed star. That had to be a wand.

“Identify yourself.”

Kurumu frowned.

“I'm Kurono Kurumu.”

The small girl pouted. Her finely grained bangs looked so soft and dark. Her purplish eyes sparkled with intensity.

“Two hundred seventh.”

The girl giggled, pointing at her.

“Three times the fun.”

Kurumu frowned.

“What?”

“I'm Sendou Yukari.”

Nazohashi smiled, politely bowing to the smaller girl.

“I'm Nazohashi Taro.”

The girl brightened up visibly.

“Ninth! And such manners! You're both classmates of Moka!”

Nazohashi grinned, shrugging at Kurumu's confusion.

“Yes, we are. Did you memorize the class rankings?”

“I just noticed them. She's three times the fun! Get it!”

“She is something. Are you waiting for someone, Ms. Sendou?”

The girl grinned, bringing both her tiny hands up to her chin. Closing her eyes, she bowed slightly.

“I'm very pleased to meet you, Ms. Nazohashi. I'm waiting for Moka.”

Kurumu grinned, stepping in closer to the girl. Yukari's head turned sharply, eyes locking in on her. Softening her smile, Kurumu lowered down on her haunches which made her shorter than the girl.

“She's so adorable.”

Yukari frowned, making her all the more endearing.

“Adorable? I'm not a little kid.”

Tsukune was not a witch. This girl had an entirely different aura. There was something powerful emanating from this child that Tsukune did not possess. It was not the same sort of energy that Moka radiated, but it easily surpassed Moka's in intensity. Kurumu smiled, suddenly unsure of what she should do.

“Moka is a little behind us. She is walking with Mr. Aono.”

Kurumu sighed, standing back up. She turned slightly to regard the path. She could see the two walking together. Tsukune looked like his steps were not as decisive as they should be. Kurumu sighed again.

“That idiot. He let her drink his blood again even after I told him not to.”

“Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu picked up on the mild reproach. She smiled, glancing over at the young girl.

“So what were you waiting on Moka for?”

The little girl turned her nose snobbishly away from her.

“A child like you would not understand.”

Kurumu frowned. She was older than this kid by more than four years. It was so preposterous that she did not know if she could feel upset over it.

“Moka!”

The girl sprinted off in the vampire's direction, throwing her arms wide as she closed in. Her little legs moved quick, kicking up the cape as she bolted through the opening of the perimeter. Moka only managed to look up at the girl before Yukari wrapped the vampire up in a fierce hug that knocked the pointed hat off. The girl promptly started to rub her cheek against Moka's bosom as the vampire held her hands up like she was being robbed.

Sharing a shrug, Kurumu wandered back down the path with Nazohashi in tow. They came to a stop next to a dazed Tsukune, whom regarded the display with an absent grin. Kurumu flicked her wrist to strike the back of her hand against his shoulder, capturing his attention.

“Oh, hey, Kurumu.”

“So this is Moka's new friend?”

Moka made a slight mewl that sounded more sexual than normal. Yukari had slipped behind the girl and was now fondling the vampire's chest from behind. Kurumu gaped at the brazen display, unsure what she should do about it. It did not look like Yukari was meaning to, as the girl was simply nuzzling up against Moka's back no different than she had been doing to Moka's front. But those tiny hands were doing something naughty and Moka was putting on a whimpering performance that caused all the male bystanders to stop and look.

“Yukari! What the heck do you think you are doing?!”

It was that same tone Tsukune had used in the gym against Morioka. Sadly, Kurumu suspected this meant he had likely enjoyed that vision of Moka.

“I'm her lover so I'm supposed to do things like this.”

Nazohashi gasped, glancing at Kurumu.

“Girlfriend?”

Tsukune stalked in, grabbing Yukari's tiny arm. He yanked the girl and Yukari promptly released Moka. Slapping away his hands, Yukari hopped back a couple steps and pulled that wand out of the recesses of her cape. She brandished the wand much like a sword.

“Aono Tsukune. How dare you interfere with my relationship!”

“Relationship?! But you're both girls!”

“You are such a close minded fool. One hundred twenty eighth. Average grades, looks, and no apparent athletic abilities. You don't even have the presence of someone important.”

“What?!”

“A mediocre child like you has no business hanging around someone as beautiful and accomplished as Moka.”

“Mediocre?!”

Kurumu had heard enough of this. She crossed her arms about her chest and huffed indignantly.

“I will not have you talk poorly about my boyfriend.”

“He's not your boyfriend!”

Yukari's moment of hesitation vanished with Moka's steadfast denial.

“I will not be tricked. Clearly Tsukune must learn to keep his distance from my beloved Moka.”

Kurumu had nothing. She shrugged.

“Okay.”

“Kurumu!”

Kurumu turned her nose away from the panicked Tsukune. It was his fault for letting that silly girl drink his blood again. She could see the little peck on his throat. Without the jacket, his guilt was very apparent.

“Beat him up!”

With a flick of her wrist, Yukari's wand shimmered with white light. The sound of leaves rustling drew attention to the forest. Dozens of sticks of various shapes, sizes and thicknesses floated out of the brush. As they broke free of the forest line, the debris picked up speed as it hurtled unerringly towards Tsukune.

Tsukune let out a frightened yelp as he bolted for the school. The missiles sailed even faster, the first log striking him solidly in the back with enough force to knock him flat on his face in the dirt. He grunted and groaned as more projectiles jabbed into his back and legs.

“Ha! Serves you right! My magic will keep you away from my Moka forever!”

Even without her bragging, any onlookers would recognize this was not the spirit of the forest at work, but some mystical force only known to be wielded by the witch race. If there had been any doubts regarding her true form, they were dispelled now.

Kurumu sighed as she started towards the quivering mess that was left of Tsukune. The boy had been thoroughly battered in the matter of seconds. His body was still twitching, but it looked like he had lost consciousness. She sighed again as she knelt down next to him.

“I kept saying you were too close to her. I guess I'll take you to the infirmary again.”

The second bell rang, announcing all of them late. In the corner of her eye, Kurumu saw Nazohashi hustling to the school with Moka in hand and Yukari clinging to the vampire like a tick. Many of the other students that had lingered to see the altercation were also hurrying through the threshold.

Rolling Tsukune over, Kurumu managed to haul him up into her arms. It was hardly a romantic thing, carrying her man to the infirmary. But she could not abandon him now, even if he was not the witch she had hoped him to be. The only thing that really mattered at this moment was that he was hers.

* * *

The bell for the lunch hour rang. Kurumu sighed as she regarded his still form, wondering how long it would take for him to wake up. One of those branches must have clocked him real hard in the back of the head, judging by the huge knot he had nestled in the back of his dark locks. Ms. Tsumugi had assured her that it was nothing life threatening and that he should regain consciousness soon.

Begging permission from the nurse, Kurumu weaseled her way into staying with him. Though when he failed to wake up within the first hour, she had quickly grown bored with sitting around watching him. Feeling a little naughty, Kurumu had rolled him onto his back and straightened out his limbs. After kicking off her shoes and socks, she had crawled into bed with him.

About a half hour ago, Ms. Kagome had roused her from her sleep. It had been an awkward moment, with the busty teacher mildly reprimanding her about the appropriate behavior between boys and girls. Even with her mild protest of being his girlfriend, Ms. Kagome remained firm in her ideas that they were too young to cross such a delicate line.

The woman had not stayed long, leaving a small gift on the nightstand and making Kurumu promise to attend her afternoon classes. Kurumu did not care much to be lectured over academics. It simply was not her strength so she only needed to know enough to get by.

“I'll be out to lunch.”

Kurumu nodded to the voice on the other side of the door. The nurse did not wait for a response, though that was hardly surprising. Ms. Tsumugi had barely bothered to check up on her. Or if she had, she had not felt the need to scold Kurumu out of Tsukune's bed. The sound of the far door closing announced the nurse's departure. Kurumu was finally alone with Tsukune.

Kurumu took in a deep breath as she regarded him. She slipped out of the chair and wandered over to the bedside, staring at his face. Two weeks ago she had dragged him in this room and discovered how much of an attraction she had towards his body. She was no closer to finding out why, having only ruled out her greatest suspicion. She wished he would tell her. She sincerely hoped Moka did not know.

Kurumu reached over to run her fingers through his hair. She wondered if Moka would come bounding through the door at any moment with it being the lunch hour. Smiling softly, Kurumu traced her fingers about his ear and across his cheek. Gently she brushed two fingertips across his lips.

Drawing her hand down his chin, her fingers came to rest on his loosened tie. She bent over him, bringing her other hand up to help remove the silly thing. With a couple careful pulls and tugs, she dragged the strip of cloth off his collar and set it aside on the nightstand.

Kurumu glanced to the door. As none of the classrooms were nearby, she did not hear much activity in the hallway. It would be fine if she was quick about it. It was not even that major of a thing to do. If he remained asleep and unaware, she could steal a precious moment.

Pressing her palms to the mattress, Kurumu crawled up on the bed. She was careful not to touch his arms as she reached over him. Holding her breath, she lifted up her right knee and eased it over his waist. Letting out her breath slowly, she settled down atop him.

Sitting up straddled over him, she rested her rump gently against his crotch. She watched his face, but he did not move nor did his desire swell. He was still completely out of it. She smiled, gently lifting up her hands so that all her weight was on her knees and derriere.

First thing she did was fix her skirt so that none of the hem was pinched between her and him. It served as a mildly discrete cover to the simplistic naughtiness she was indulging. She swallowed, glancing to the door again.

Timidly, she brought her hands to lightly touch upon his shoulders. Drifting them in, she started to slowly unfasten the buttons of his shirt. As she got halfway down, she knew how silly she was being. His skin was so pale and he was thin. He had no hairs on his chest nor any muscles to define his torso. He was a clean, white slate only interrupted by the small, coin sized nipples. She had to scoot a hair down his torso to get the last of his buttons, tugging the shirt free of his waistband.

With a slight smile, she regarded the door one more time. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to him. Lowering her head and angling her body, she closed her eyes as she gently pressed her lips against his left nipple. She moved her head in a small circle, lavishing tiny kisses about that dark spot. She rested one arm next to him, pressing to the mattress as she lowered more upon him. She nuzzled her cheek against his warm flesh before turning her head to capture the nipple in her mouth, sucking gently.

She could feel him stirring in more ways than one. She shivered as she felt directionless lust start to ebb from his body, her image somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind. She could feel a slight firmness developing beneath her perch, her body tingling with the thought of use.

A terrifying thought seized her mind, recognizing how badly she wanted to reach between them and wrestle with his belt and pants. She was no stranger to how sex was supposed to work and her fingers certainly knew the best places to touch. If it were not for the mess, she would not hesitate to give that little button a push. A lot could happen in five minutes.

Knowing she was getting moist at these traitorous thoughts, Kurumu moved her lips over to treat his other nipple with equal love. Feeling her heart beat madly in her chest, she squirmed on her perch by rocking her hips up and down. Whimpering at how much her whole body trembled with hunger for him, Kurumu broke off her kisses upon his chest. Turning her cheek, she nuzzled up against him while moving her hand up to caress the side of his face.

He groaned, his breath hot against her palm. She knew she should pull away, but she could not bring herself to do it. She felt so warm and wanted. Gently pointing her knees out, she rolled her butt up to press something far more sensitive against that swelling lust.

There was so much of an increase in desire as he groaned again. Kurumu shivered, her eyes opening slightly. She looked across the bed at the chair, noting her schoolbag resting up against the supports. She also noticed the small tilted pane of crystal sitting on the night stand. That thing was the “Get Well” gift from one of the other students. Considering how odd the thing was, it was probably something Moka had picked up.

Thoughts of Moka made Kurumu feel even more like she had to establish ownership over Tsukune. She rocked slightly side to side, her breaths soft and shallow. She had no doubts that her cottons were moist with her desire. It was almost like she could feel every crease of his slacks through the thin fabric. She shivered with pleasure.

“Kurumu? Kurumu!”

Hands seized tightly upon her sides, causing her whole body to tremble with glee. She relaxed her arms and legs, though her poor button ached something fierce. It felt like it was the only muscle in her body still tense with anticipation. She whimpered with the need of it being touched.

He sat up forcefully, but she weighed heavily upon him. To maintain his balance he had to press one hand to the mattress while the other lingered at her side. Needing her own support, Kurumu slipped her arms beneath his and clasped her hands together behind his back. She nuzzled her head against his shoulder, pressing her lips gently to his neck. He flinched, moving the hand at her side between them, gently pushing her back.

“What happened to my shirt?”

His hand pushing on her belly was not the most comfortable of things. Kurumu loosened her grip, resting back on her haunches. She dragged one hand around his torso to gently caress his bared, smooth chest.

“I opened it to make sure you didn't have any other injuries.”

Tsukune looked about nervously. No longer needing the support, he lifted his other hand up to hold her by her arm. He glanced her over, though surprisingly this did not bring any strong feelings of desire for her.

“What time is it?”

“About the lunch hour.”

“I missed the whole morning?”

“Mhm.”

Tsukune scowled.

“That little brat. I didn't do anything wrong. And you weren't any help.”

Kurumu smirked as she glanced over at the night stand.

“I don't mind her at all.”

“How can you say that?!”

“Because she thinks you are too close to Moka. And I agree.”

“She put me in the infirmary!”

“Well… what do you expect? That girl may be a genius, but she's still a kid. I don't get the impression that her classmates care much for her. That's probably because she makes it so obvious that she's a witch.”

Tsukune's scowl only deepened.

“I don't have time for this. I have to find Moka.”

Kurumu pouted but before she could voice a protest, Tsukune suddenly twisted to the side and clocked the bottom of his jaw with his right fist. His hand promptly opened as he groaned. His eyes shut with pain, he reached up with his other hand to nurse his jaw.

“Tsukune? Are you okay?”

The young man jerked back from her suddenly. His hands whipped out in front of him and he thrust his palms forward with surprising force.

Kurumu squealed as those hands hit her breasts, plowing her backwards. She caught herself on a palm and an elbow, grimacing at how this bothered her knees. Shifting her weight, she slipped one ankle out so she could extend the leg but then Tsukune fell down atop her.

“Wait! Tsukune!”

Kurumu squirmed, trying to get her other foot straight as her heart started to race. Something was terribly wrong. He was pushing hard against her tits, but it was not like he was grabbing or squeezing. She did not feel any increase in desire or lust from him to explain this.

Kurumu thrust her hands against his shoulders. Without warning, the rest of his legs that had still been trapped beneath her lower back suddenly yanked out from beneath her. His weight fell heavily upon her torso as he thrust up over her. His hands continued to press against her, as if he was trying to push her breasts back inside her chest.

“Stop, Tsukune! Stop!”

She knew something was wrong. She stared him deep in those terrified eyes and pleaded with him internally and in words.

“Stop! Let me go!”

“I can't!”

His face rushed down towards her and she narrowly turned her head aside before his nose smashed upon her jaw. He groaned and she winced. When he drew back, a trickle of blood started to dribble out his left nostril.

Kurumu rolled hard to her left. His hands slipped off her tits and she could feel his chest strike against her shoulder. Between his arms, she lifted her leg up and kicked hard at his side.

He suddenly fell backwards, evading her kick. Kurumu flailed a moment, but quickly rolled over to her hands and knees now that he was no longer crushed between her thighs. She started to scramble quickly towards the end of the bed, ready to get to her feet.

Kurumu cried out, tears springing to her eyes as her ponytail was caught in his unforgiving fist. Her head was yanked back roughly as her whole body jerked once Tsukune collided against her back. His arm wedged between them and pressed firmly against the small of her back. He grunted as his arm steadily pushed her forward.

“Tsukune!”

“I'm trying to let go! It's like I don't have any control over my body!”

Kurumu whimpered, her head held back by her hair as she grimaced. She placed her hands down on the edge of the mattress, bending to this unstoppable force. The arm moved away once she was finally down on her hands, but it was only to make a rough sweeping gesture to flip up her skirt.

And then there was lust. For the first time since this crazy attack had started, she finally felt something surge from him. Even without the heavy arm that returned to press against the small of her back, she doubted she would have tried to escape from a Tsukune that wanted her. She could barely hear his whimpers and grunts over the pounding of her terrified heart.

“Kurumu!”

She swallowed thickly. Her throat was suddenly parched as her body decided it was far more important to be wet somewhere else. Her hands gripped the edge of the mattress.

Kurumu whimpered as the door opened. A flood of relief crashed through her at the sight of Moka. The vampire held one of those lunch bags the cafeteria gave to them when they took their lunch back to class. With a gasp, Kurumu held her hand out towards the vampire.

“Finally. I hope you don't mind eating a little, since-”

Moka's eyes widened. Kurumu mewled as she felt his fingers clumsily swipe at the hem of her panties rather unsuccessfully. This could not be happening. She whimpered, trying to pull free from the iron grasp in her hair.

“This is not what you think!”

There was no way Tsukune could talk his way out of this if he kept making swipes at her bared panties. Kurumu kept reaching out for Moka, wincing with pain as he jerked back on her hair three times to scatter her thoughts.

Moka made a slight sob as she turned her back on them.

“I can't believe you! I trusted you! You used your charm on him again!”

His hand suddenly released her hair and she nearly fell off the bed. Her upper body tumbled over the edge and she barely caught herself with her hands before her face smashed into the floor. She felt both of his hands firmly grip at the hem of her skirt.

“Moka. Moka, please!”

She scrambled towards Moka but felt the bite of fabric against her waist. He suddenly pulled up with tremendous force. She cried out in pain as the fabric tore in an instant. The rest of her body tumbled off the bed, her knees striking painfully against the floor.

“Moka, help!”

Kurumu gasped out her words, noting that the vampire's legs had turned back towards her. She crawled quickly across the floor on her hands and knees, but froze just shy of her destination. Her whole body began to shudder with sheer ecstasy. Her mouth hung open as she fell down onto her elbows, her cheek pressing to the floor. She glanced over her shoulder, noting how stricken Tsukune was. He remained up on the bed, with her torn skirt and panties in his hands.

She felt so much. She felt too much. A small touch of drool started to trickle down the corner of her mouth as the sheer volume of lust overwhelmed her senses. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she collapsed.

* * *

She was a terrible person.

Kurumu sat in the bed with the covers drawn over her naked thighs. She had been told that Nazohashi and Genzouyaki were running back to the dorms to bring back something for her to wear. They had taken her keys at the start of the period, though they probably would not be back till the final bell.

When Kurumu had come out of her momentary spell, she had already been tucked up in bed. Expecting accusations, Moka had surprised her with concern over her welfare. When asked, Moka had admitted to being upset over what happened, but trusted Tsukune was telling the truth about not being charmed.

Not long after the start of the fifth period, Ms. Tsumugi had returned to check up on them. The nurse had promptly scolded them, wanting them to return to their classes before being made aware of the situation. As this was an unusual circumstance according to the nurse, she lacked spare clothes for Kurumu to wear for the remainder of the day. Promising to make Ms. Nekonome aware of this, the nurse had sent Tsukune and Moka to chemistry.

Alone, she had cried. Deep down, she strongly felt she was to blame. Even though her thoughts had been screaming for him to stop, she could not deny the possibility of something deeper within her soul forcing him to press on. It was not like she possessed a full understanding of what she could do.

But that had been hours ago. She felt much better now, though horribly aroused. All that foreplay had not brought her to a climax. She had known that immediately upon waking up, since her little button felt so swollen and demanded attention. Even now she imagined it would not take much to send that little muscle into heavenly spasms.

It was the eighth period, but Ms. Nekonome had granted the class a study hall hour being aware of her situation. That was how those two were able to run to the dorms during school hours. Tsukune was also hanging out in the room, though keeping silent. He lingered at the foot of the bed, regarding the door as he waited for Moka’s return.

Kurumu had yet to see the vampire this hour. She wanted badly to speak to Moka and apologize. Tora had mentioned something about Moka needing Deshi for something that might be related to the incident. None of them were blaming her for this, and she felt so dirty.

Tsukune had not said a word, nor did she dare start a conversation with him. She really wished he would leave or that someone else had stayed with her or them. She was scared if they started to talk that somehow things would end up worse than before. She could not trust herself.

Kurumu felt so much better as the door opened. Moka smiled, escorting a pouting little girl into the room. The foreigner came in last, but stopped at the doorway. Favoring her with a mildly amused expression, the girl flipped her small staff up. Leaning back against the jamb, Deshi rested the staff upon her shoulder.

Moka brought the eleven year old to the side of the bed. The vampire let go of the girl’s shoulders and gestured to Kurumu.

“I believe you owe her an apology.”

Kurumu frowned, unsure what Yukari had to do with her situation. Clearly these two were cutting class, but considering this was the first and second ranked students of their grade, she doubted anyone would make a fuss about it. Plus it was Ms. Sunao they were dealing with.

“I don’t understand.”

“She cast spell to use his body. Very unusual.”

Yukari looked away. With a huff, she turned her dainty nose up.

“I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Tsukune scowled, thrusting a hand out at Moka.

“I know you won't say it, but this has to stop!”

“Tsukune!”

Clenching his hands in fists, Tsukune took a menacing step towards Yukari.

“I’m not some toy to be moved against my will!”

“You have no proof that I did anything.”

A huge weight lifted from her heart. She was not to blame? She looked to Yukari, hoping this was true, but the girl was too busy being defiant to notice her. Kurumu glanced over to the foreigner.

“Are you sure she did this?”

“She use doll first, but then use self for fine actions. Never see such skill before.”

Yukari huffed, crossing her arms about her tiny chest.

“Since the premise of such a curse is based on a hair being placed within a hexed object, it does not take a genius to realize that you could apply such a hex to yourself and effectively take control of another being through ingestion.”

“You little brat!”

Kurumu frowned as Yukari quickly hopped behind Moka.

“You ate a hair?”

“I did not say I did anything. You still have no proof.”

Deshi laughed.

“She look like removing belt when had none. Very funny pantomime. Laugh too loud so she stopped.”

Tsukune’s face darkened but Kurumu could only blush at the image in her mind. She could not imagine what Moka had been thinking if Tsukune had started removing his pants.

“Why didn’t you stop her sooner?! Do you have any idea what she was having me do?!

The foreigner shrugged.

“She play many trick on others. No point stop her for every little thing.”

“This is not a little thing!”

Yukari huffed, clinging to Moka’s back.

“You are being irrational. She clearly likes you so there is nothing wrong with being intimate.”

“That’s not the point at all! You can’t keep doing things like this!”

Kurumu clutched at the sheets, certain that the girl was responsible for all the abrupt movements Tsukune had made. She knew she should be angry at the girl, but she was too relieved that this had not been her fault. It also seemed like Yukari approved of her relationship with Tsukune.

“I know you are upset, but that’s no reason to yell at her.”

“You can’t tell me you were fine with how things went! You have to back me on this.”

“I… I don’t mind.”

“Kurumu?!”

She shrugged at Tsukune’s outrage.

“Nothing happened.”

“Moka, please. You’re not going to have any friends if you always have that brat around!”

Tsukune suddenly gasped, clutching at his throat. There was a notable strain on the fabric of his tie, as if some invisible force was tugging it taut. Yukari started to laugh at his struggles.

Flinging her sheets aside, Kurumu bounded over to his side. She quickly slipped behind him, letting a finger turn razor sharp as she reached up into his collar. With a slight flick, she sliced through the fabric and he gasped loudly with relief.

A sharp slap ended the laughter. Moka drew back her hand, firmly regarding the startled girl. Yukari clutched the side of her face, retreating from Moka. Her eyes wavered.

“Moka? Why?”

The vampire glanced away, lowering her hands to her sides.

“I didn’t help you so you could bully my friends.”

Yukari smiled though there was a deep sadness in her eyes.

“I see. I guess I was wrong about you.”

Tsukune coughed, discarded the remnants of his tie. He regarded the girl.

“Don’t say something like that. Moka is a wonderful person. You need to learn to act nicer if you want to make friends.”

Yukari huffed, turning her head away.

“I don’t need to make friends with a weakling like you.”

Tsukune scowled.

“I meant anyone.”

Deshi chuckled.

“She not friend with any in class. Cause she witch.”

Yukari glared at the smiling foreigner.

“Yes, and witches are hated among monsters. I’m going home now.”

The little girl started for the doorway, holding herself with dignity. Tsukune stepped towards the girl, his mood much lighter.

“Yukari.”

The witch glanced at him. With a smirk and a flick of her wrist, both of Kurumu’s shoes sprung up from the floor to whip through the air and strike him in the crotch and head. Laughing, the girl sprinted out the door and through the waiting room.

Clutching his groin, Tsukune took three steps towards the door before Moka intervened. He whimpered, looking at the vampire.

“What?”

“Let it go, Tsukune. She’s just a kid.”

“Kid or not, she has to understand that what she did was wrong.”

“Have you not even stopped to consider her feelings?”

Kurumu felt that was an unfair thing to ask of Tsukune, since it was clear that Yukari was not trying to understand them at all. She had heard from other kids in junior high that witches were a despicable race that twisted the natural flow of spiritual energy to their own purposes. If Yukari had grown up in a similar backwaters village, the girl would have suffered much prejudice.

“DeDe? Does Yukari not have any friends in your class?”

The foreigner shrugged, moving away from the doorway. She walked by Moka to stop next to the nightstand. With a smirk on her lips, the girl picked up the small crystal.

“Very interesting thing.”

“Huh?”

Deshi turned the crystal over in her hands. After a mild examination, she turned and handed it to the vampire.

“Scry enchanted. Would guess she has other one.”

Kurumu frowned, glancing at Tsukune. Sensing her attention, he looked over forcing her to avert her gaze. She shivered at a sudden surge of desire.

“Kurumu! You’re… cover up!”

Kurumu quickly held her hands down to hide her important parts. Moka promptly slipped out of her jacket and tossed it over. Smiling, Kurumu took the garment and wrapped it about her waist, cinching the sleeves in a knot at the side of her hip.

“She spy on you. Explain how she work magic so well from afar.”

“That little brat!”

“Tsukune, enough! I’m really worried about her. I don’t want her to think we can’t be friends.”

“Why worry? Normal for witch not have friends.”

Moka frowned at the nonchalant girl.

“Aren’t you friends with her?”

The foreigner laughed, shaking her head.

“Not mind, but not friend. Too much trouble.”

Kurumu nodded, wondering if the girl meant that having a witch as a friend was not a good thing for a member of the student police.

“What about the dorm? Do you know where she lives?”

“She lives in suite.”

Kurumu had almost suspected that, thinking that someone from class would have said something about living with that little girl. She nodded, realizing it was no surprise that the girl would have no friends. Even if the girl had them in the past, those kids would all still be in elementary.

“I’m going to go look for.”

“Why?”

“Because someone has to.”

Deshi shook her head, wagging a hand dismissively.

“No need. This two way. See.”

The girl pushed on the crystal, a small pane slipping inside another. A small image flashed into existence, hovering over the crystal. The image was dark yet moved to and fro. Deshi frowned.

“Must be in pocket. Hold on.”

The foreigner rubbed up the side of the crystal. The slight sound of a girl laughing sounded from the image. Deshi repeated the gesture which made the sound louder.

“See. She happy.”

Moka frowned deeply.

“That may not be true.”

Deshi smiled with her typical emptiness. She handed the crystal over to the vampire.

“You keep. Watch her.”

The vampire took the device, but her frown did not dissipate. Moka shook her head and turned away. She started for the door.

“I still have to go after her. I can’t leave things like this.”

“Moka, wait!”

Kurumu promptly grabbed his wrist. She held firmer when he tried to follow after the vampire. She looked away as he turned to confront her over this, not interested in explaining herself while the foreigner was still here.

Deshi chuckled, bobbing the staff on her shoulder. Her yellowish eyes opened as she grinned mischievously.

“Behave.”

The foreigner smirked, walking out the door. Once the far door to the hall closed, Kurumu let go of him.

“What was that?”

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I wanted to be alone with you. That’s all.”

Tsukune sighed. He glanced at her, a mild desire surfacing. Turning away, Tsukune stalked over to the chair and sat down heavily.

Kurumu wandered over to the side of the bed. She started to sit down and then checked the jacket suddenly unsure how she wanted to do this. She knew she would not want Moka’s bare bottom sitting on her jacket. Sighing, she turned about and clasped her hands in front of her, deciding to stand.

“Tsukune. You saw it?”

“Huh?”

She blushed, not daring to say anything specific as that was the sort of thing girls did in those sleazy movies her mother rented.

“My… body.”

She could feel how intensely he understood her question. It was the same level of interest that had her staggering before. She reached behind her to grip the covers on the mattress, her body trembling.

“Look away.”

Her heart quickened. She looked up to his chin, waiting for him to avert his gaze. The moment he turned his jaw, she fumbled with the sleeves of the jacket. It only took a couple seconds before she had the garment free. She then quickly sat down on the mattress, readjusting the jacket till it rested comfortably over her knees.

“Okay.”

Tsukune swallowed, his head turning. She could feel his smoldering lust.

“Kurumu, I-“

“Marry me.”

Tsukune gagged. It hurt deeply to hear that catch of breath. Absently she clutched at her breast.

“Tsukune. I only wanted one man to ever see that. Marry me.”

The edge on his desire tapered steadily. He sighed, leaning forward in his chair.

“We… we need to bring something serious like marriage up to our parents.”

“Is that a yes?”

“We barely know each other, Kurumu. I couldn’t say yes to anyone.”

“Oh. Okay.”

She sulked at his response. The only good thing about his words was it was not an outright rejection.

“I’m not even thinking about marriage right now. I’m still trying to get used to the idea that I could have a girlfriend.”

“I am your girlfriend.”

He paused, resting his elbows on his knees. He folded his hands together as he pressed his chin to the back of his hand.

“Weren’t you scared? When that… happened.”

She nodded.

“Then why? Why would you want to be my girlfriend?”

She smiled softly.

“Because I love you.”

He laughed, shaking his head.

“You are amazingly frustrating.”

“That’s not very nice.”

Tsukune stood up.

“I’m going back to class to get my things. You think you’ll be okay by yourself till the girls come back with your things?”

Kurumu smiled. She was disappointed he was leaving her, but at least he was not chasing after Moka.

“I can manage.”

“I’ll wait for you then.”

Nodding politely to her, he turned away and headed out the door. In a matter of seconds, she was completely alone in the infirmary once again. Well, Ms. Tsumugi was probably somewhere in here but that woman rarely made a sound.

Kurumu got back to her feet, folding the jacket nicely before setting it on the nightstand. Smiling, she crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and rolled onto her belly. She nuzzled her cheek into the pillow as she reached up to grip the edge of the mattress at the headboard.

She could still feel traces of that yummy desire he had favored her. She probably had at least five minutes. Licking her lips, she let fingers drift down her side.


	17. Longing for Intimacy

Kurumu stared at the back of his white shirt, wondering if he was thinking about her. It had been hard to even look in his direction when they had walked home yesterday. Things had been too uncomfortable. Deciding against eating with them, Kurumu had taken her dinner home.

It might be too embarrassing to introduce herself to her neighbors now. She was such a bad girl. She absolutely could not do that again. Or at least not without a couple bottled waters set aside and a towel for cleanup. She probably should wash the sheets tonight.

Moka had not found Yukari last night, but something must have happened after Kurumu had declined eating dinner with them. When Kurumu had roused the vampire this morning, the little girl was all that Moka could talk about. Moka had immediately pulled out the crystal to check up on Yukari.

It felt weird, spying on a little girl. Apparently Yukari had set the other crystal on the counter next to the stove of her suite. While Moka got dressed, Kurumu watched the witch prepare her own breakfast. She wanted to be impressed by the feat, but there was something too methodical in Yukari's actions. It was like she did not care at all.

Kurumu sighed. She had more important things to think about than the daily life of an eleven year old. They had missed Nazohashi at breakfast, and the thoughts on her mind were not the sort she could share with Moka. If only Moka was interested in some other guy. Everything would be much simpler.

Tsukune had seen the most precious part of her. This bothered her much more than his quick glimpse of her breasts at the pool thanks to that stupid mermaid bitch. She was so relieved that she had trimmed herself for that bikini. While she liked the mature look of her blue curls, letting them grow too long had proven embarrassing the last time she had gone swimming without a trim. Girls were cruel.

Pushing angry thoughts aside, she wondered if he had liked her patch. He had not initiated any conversations with her since the infirmary. She supposed it was not something they could easily talk about with Moka around. Was hers the first he had ever seen? Maybe he would like the shaven look all those girls from sleazy films seemed to have. She wondered if she could borrow an electric razor since she could barely manage a decent trim with her sharpened fingers. She knew some girls had to deal with leg hair.

Kurumu blushed. Was this even normal? It was not like he was going to see it again any time soon, right? Oh, how she wondered what his looked like. Was it massive? Did it curve? Was there a big fat vein running down the length? Did he have a sheath of skin over the tip of his manhood? Then again, all those nasty films were made by perverted humans. Tsukune's might not look anything at all like that. She heard some monsters had two.

“Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu's eyes shot to the front of the class, noting Ms. Kagome.

“Could you please answer the question?”

Ms. Kagome had her usual smirk of superiority. The bespectacled brunette pointed at the board with a ruler to the assortment of letters and numbers with mathematical signs.

Though she had no idea what that meant, Kurumu stood up simply out of respect. She frowned at the equation.

“I don't understand.”

Like many of the teachers here, Ms. Kagome did not change up her wardrobe that much. She always sported this black miniskirt with matching garter leggings. But the blouse worn over her torso often differed. Today she went with a pastel yellow, sleeveless top that had so many buttons unfastened she may as well have not bothered at all. The black bodice worn underneath was tied up with ebony laces that were clearly visible over the parted blouse.

Ms. Kagome sighed dramatically.

“If y is one and four x plus y equals five, what is the result?”

Kurumu stared blankly. She really did not know why algebra was obsessed with using chromosomes. If the boy was by himself and he had four girls, which would make five. Was there a question in there?

“The result of what?”

“Of the equation.”

How was she supposed to know what the result would be from adding four girls to one boy? If the answer had nothing to do with five, she had no clue where to start. It was not like she had any experience in harems.

“Frustration?”

“This is not that difficult, Ms. Kurono. I'm well aware that most of the class understands this concept.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I guess I don't understand the question.”

“Solve for x.”

“You want a solution for x?”

“Yes.”

Kurumu frowned, wondering how this had anything to do with math.

“Um… tell x to cut her losses and find another y.”

At least most of her classmates found her answer amusing. She bowed her head, embarrassed that she still had no idea what the point was to this question.

“Five?”

Ms. Kagome sighed, waving her hand repeatedly for the students to quiet down. She frowned, regarding Kurumu.

“Ms. Kurono. I think it may be in your best interest to see me after class on a regular basis.”

“But… I have club.”

The woman nodded.

“I am aware that every student here has club. I am sure we can meet after your club finishes for the day.”

“But… dinner?”

“I will not starve you, Ms. Kurono. Meet me in the disciplinary room. I believe you could greatly benefit from my private tutoring.”

For some reason, this piqued the sexual interest of some of the boys. She smiled slightly, bowing once more before taking her seat. As Ms. Kagome turned about to resume the lecture, Kurumu could guess what was on those perverted minds. Unlike most of the other teachers, Ms. Kagome oozed with sexuality. She certainly had the bad teacher look, whom would punish delinquent students with carnal activities.

Kurumu wondered if Ms. Kagome had a boyfriend. The math teacher was young, sexy and employed. She clearly had the attention of every boy in class, as this usually was the hour Kurumu felt the least bit of interest in her. It seemed a waste for such a beautiful woman to be single, unless it was by choice. At least Kurumu would not have to worry about such a fate.

Tsukune was not thinking sexually about her right now. There had been moments during the walk home and again at breakfast and even on the walk to school, but nothing had been long enough to make her squirm. Once Ms. Nekonome had taken role, Tsukune somehow managed to push every sexual thought about her to the farthest recess of his mind. At least, that was how it felt.

Kurumu wondered how long it would be before they had sex. She knew he wanted her to meet his parents first, but that would be like forever from now. She had not heard of a parents' day so it was very likely she would not meet them until summer break. That was around her birthday. She smiled at the thought of wearing a red ribbon even though she was the one that should be getting the gift.

August felt so far away when it was not even May. Maybe it would not be such a bad thing if they held off finding Moka a boyfriend right away. Not that Moka's little crush on Tsukune was stopping Kurumu in any way. She was still going to bring her laundry over tonight, even if the sheets smelled funny. There was absolutely no way she would allow Moka to intrude on that.

She wondered if she could fit her tail up in there. She knew she could reach, but that spade end was so much larger than a couple fingers. And it lacked fine motor skills. Maybe if she held it and shoved it up inside her. No, that probably would not work. It actually sounded rather painful. Maybe if she got really bored. It was going to be a long string of months.

She wished she had someone to talk to about perverse things like this. Moka was too innocent and Nazohashi would probably scold her. While it would be fun to bring it up with Tsukune, she doubted he could carry on a conversation about such a subject. And any guy like Burumoto would read too much into that sort of thing.

She needed another girl. Her first thought and glance was for Shirayuki, though on second thought that would be terrible. The girl was not very talkative to begin with, and she worried that bringing up anything sexual would only damage their acquaintanceship. In the least it would make the rest of the trimester between them awkward in home economics.

Kurumu glanced beyond Shirayuki, quickly taking in the other girls. Irewata was cute, probably not a virgin, though also the sort that would pass the word along. Arashimideru was too intimidating to approach and not even what she would consider an acquaintance. Genzouyaki was sleeping.

Genzouyaki.

She was sort of a friend. She did not look like she would know much about having a boyfriend, but she did not seem the type to spread gossip. And she had helped her out yesterday bringing that spare change of clothes. It was also nice that she was the only girl in class shorter than Kurumu.

Kurumu had not yet decided what she wanted to talk about, if at all, before the bell rang. There was never much time between classes and she doubted she would get another chance if she waited for the lunch hour. Impulsively, she got to her feet and walked down the back row towards the slumbering girl.

She gave the girl's shoulder a slight shake. Kurumu smiled at the cute, wavering moan Genzouyaki made in response. It was not the first time she had heard it, since the girl often made the sound when waking up, sometimes in the middle of lectures. Kurumu jostled the girl again.

Genzouyaki made the same sound again, though this time she lifted her head. She yawned grandly as she sat up in her chair. Turning slightly, the dark haired girl regarded Kurumu.

“Come on, let's go.”

Genzouyaki rubbed one of her eyes. There was no white in her dark eye, though it possessed a slight tinge of purple. She smiled mildly.

“Lunch already?”

Kurumu grabbed the girl by the wrist and tugged.

“Come with me.”

Genzouyaki yawned once again, but staggered to her feet. She did not even try to pull away, shuffling out into the hall under Kurumu's direction.

Acting entirely on impulse, Kurumu felt they should go to the bathroom. She could go if she tried. Turning to her left, she pulled the smaller girl down the hall past the other classrooms. Turning left again, they ducked into the girls' bathroom.

The room was empty. With it being the end of third period and there only being a few minutes between classes, very few bothered with a restroom break if they could hold it till the lunch hour. She let go of Genzouyaki's wrist, moving to the nearest gray door.

“Genzouyaki. What was your first name again?”

The girl stifled another yawn as she pushed open the adjacent door and shambled into the stall.

“Nerume. What was yours?”

“Kurumu.”

There was a heavy flop as the girl settled down. Kurumu frowned, since the girl clearly had not even bothered to lock her stall door. Shaking her head, she slipped into her own stall not making the same mistake.

“So… you have extra classes?”

The sound of water loosing was a bit startling. Kurumu tried hard not to giggle as she tugged down her cottons and settled down on the ring. She carefully fixed her skirt before trying anything.

Forcing herself, Kurumu wondered if the girl had even heard her question. It sounded like the girl had emptied a good liter of water and now it was trickling out.

“Hey? Hey?”

“Hmm?”

“I was wondering.”

Kurumu paused, unsure what she wanted to say. She squeezed a little harder but was coming up dry. She tapped the white roll at the side, getting a couple squares for the cleanup.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”

“… no.”

“Have you ever had one?”

“I had a crush on an older guy a couple years ago. But he graduated.”

“Is he here?”

“I don't know. I haven't thought about him that much since he left.”

“Would it surprise you if I told you I was a virgin?”

“… not really. Are you ashamed of it?”

Kurumu shook her head animatedly. She stood up, pulling her panties back up and fixing them comfortably before flushing the commode.

“Kurumu?”

Realizing she had not voiced an answer, Kurumu giggled.

“Oh. I… no. It's just that… my true form. I don't think many would believe me.”

Kurumu slipped out of her stall, quickly crossing the room to the counter with the built in sinks. She really had no idea where she was going with this conversation, but it felt nice to have another person that was accepting her. Turning the water on, she started washing up as she looked at her reflection in the mirror that stretched along the wall the entire length of the counter.

“You know… yesterday was the first time I've ever been seen naked before.”

There was a flush. Genzouyaki emerged from her stall and offered Kurumu a slight smile before crossing over to the sinks.

“So what happened? Akashiya said that you needed new clothes.”

“How did you get dragged into that anyways?”

“Huh? Oh, well… the class representative didn't want to go back to the dorms by herself. She came over and demanded my escort.”

Kurumu smiled, thinking that did sound like something Nazohashi would do. She watched as Genzouyaki washed up in the sink.

“Is it… is it weird that I want to have sex with him?”

Genzouyaki turned off the water, drying her hands off with her skirt. The girl did not seem to care that this momentarily flashed her teal briefs. Letting her skirt fall back in place, the girl regarded Kurumu with an unreadable expression.

Kurumu blushed, bowing her head.

“He is my boyfriend, though I know I've only known him for a short time. Is that weird?”

“I don't think so. I've thought about having sex.”

Kurumu brightened up.

“You have?”

Genzouyaki bit her lower lip and shrugged somewhat apologetically.

“Well… who hasn't? We are almost the legal marrying age. I'm already an aunt and my sister is only two years older than me. Eventually we're going to have sex with someone, right?”

Kurumu smiled at the statement of being an aunt. She nodded emphatically, feeling vindicated.

“We will. We might even be married soon, and married women have sex.”

Genzouyaki nodded with a slight blush. The girl glanced down at her fingers as she nervously fidgeted.

“And… have babies.”

Kurumu smiled at the thought of having a little girl with Tsukune. She was so happy with this that she threw her arms about the smaller girl in a fierce hug. That was right. She could think these things because Tsukune was going to marry her soon. There was nothing at all wrong with her.

Nuzzling against the girl's ear, Kurumu felt Genzouyaki's hands timidly touch her sides. The bell rang, announcing their tardiness for the next hour. Kurumu sighed, relaxing her grip.

Stepping back to hold the girl at arm's length, she smiled brightly at Genzouyaki. The flush girl smiled, offering a mild shrug. Without another word, Kurumu snatched up the girl's wrist as she turned about. They had to get back to class.

* * *

For some reason Ms. Hitori felt like bread making was important enough to spend the next couple weeks perfecting. Kurumu did not mind the task, since the texture was starting to grow on her. She felt pretty confident in her abilities to make sweet dough, though she did not like the suggestion of making her own noodles for soup. Thankfully Ms. Hitori was not pushing that, since making these pretzels was proving to be annoying enough.

There was no hope for Sakamori. The redhead leaned up against the counter with an open bottle in her grasp. The recipe did not even call for cooking wine, but Ms. Hitori had not bothered stopping the girl from taking it from the pantry. And by this point, Sakamori was too sloshed to even try hiding her swigs from the container. It was a good thing she had done her project first.

Kurumu had spent her lunch with Genzouyaki today, wanting to talk more about mature things. They had wisely taken their meal out to the courtyard to avoid anyone overhearing embarrassing things. But as a further precaution, they kept their volume at a whisper. More than once, she had stopped to reassure that the topic was kosher and it was nice that Genzouyaki had done the same after bringing up the question of what was a normal frequency of self-gratification. Kurumu would have felt terrible if she had been the only one broaching taboo subjects.

Kurumu felt so much better that her sudden interest in Tsukune sexually had nothing to do with her being a succubus. Genzouyaki had been very supportive of those feelings, admitting that she would probably have the same sort of fixation towards any guy she liked that saw her naked. The girl did not have any boy in particular on her mind, but she wanted a tall, dark and handsome young man to take her hand and run with her across a beach in the night with the wind whipping through her hair and the stars shining brightly in the sky.

Kurumu liked the silliness of that image, hoping the girl would find someone like that someday. Though Genzouyaki might want to work a little on those table manners. That little girl could quickly pack down a lot of food that she might give Burumoto a challenge.

After lunch, Kurumu had crossed paths with Nazohashi before the final bell. On a whim, she had asked about bringing up the dress code to Shirayuki during chemistry. Kurumu regretted that, since Nazohashi had made such an awkward fuss over it that Mr. Hakuru had sent both girls into the hall for disturbing the class.

Kurumu watched Shirayuki work on slapping down the dough. She knew she should say something, though she did not care for Shindou to overhear this, though the other two girls were harmless enough.

She had not seen the twins today. It was an obvious absence since the two shared the same station which left some poor blue haired girl all by herself. She wondered if they were hurt, or simply ditching class. A thought crossed her mind.

“Hey, Shindou.”

The short haired blond looked up. Shindou shared the same homeroom as the twins, so she would know best.

“Where are the twins?”

“Haven't seen them all day.”

“Excused absence?”

“Not that I'm aware of. I heard you ditched class yesterday.”

“Who'd you hear that from?”

“Morisato from Sunao's class. The little munchkin told Morisato about you having sex with your boyfriend.”

Kurumu scowled, not caring for that rumor. She glanced about.

“Who is Morisato?”

Shindou turned, pointing across the classroom.

“She's the brunette down there at Station Two. She said she saw an image of you crying in the infirmary because you were caught in the act.”

Kurumu's scowl deepened. She glared over at Station Two, but the only familiar girl over there was the one that had swapped lockers with Moka. She was the only brunette at that station, so she was the culprit.

“I did not have sex with my boyfriend. If you must know, I'm still a virgin.”

Shindou leaned heavily on the island dividing their two stations. Her blue eyes sparkled with interest.

“So the brat was lying? I'm not that surprised. She's nothing but a trouble maker, I hear.”

Kurumu sighed.

“I guess.”

“So you are a virgin? You're a strange girl. You must enjoy being a tease.”

Kurumu bristled at the accusation.

“I am not a tease!”

“You just said you don't put out.”

“Put out?”

Shindou smirked.

“Have sex.”

Kurumu huffed, holding her hands up in disgust.

“If I put out, you'd call me a whore.”

Shindou shrugged.

“Then you should take it as a compliment. A tease is more respectable.”

Kurumu scowled as the tall girl at the opposing station paused, shooting a mild look of reproach upon her friend.

“Asuka.”

Shindou wagged a dismissive hand at her friend.

“I saw you were in the newspaper club. Looking for missing girls.”

“I hasn sheen Kinzoku in monsh.”

Everyone glanced at Sakamori, Kurumu with more concern than the others.

“It hasn't been months, Sakamori.”

Kurumu struck upon an idea that had escaped her since she had confirmed Sakamori's friend to be among the names of missing girls.

“What happened to your friend, Kinzoku?”

Sakamori grinned.

“She disappeared.”

Kurumu smiled weakly.

“I mean before that. What was going on in her life? Why would she disappear?”

Sakamori took another pull from the bottle. Setting it aside on the counter, and promptly dropping it to roll across the surface spilling clear fluids all over the place, the redhead shrugged.

“Don't know. She jush broke up… with her guy. Sumfin about… distance. No good, I gesh.”

Shindou laughed, shaking her head.

“You are so wasted, Sakamori. Why does Ms. Hitori let her drink in class?”

“Because she's a shojo.”

The quick response from Shirayuki was unexpected. Shindou glanced at the tall brunette that was working dough, shrugging her confusion.

“What's a shojo?”

“Shojo are the spirits of drink, if I remember correctly. Every single one I have met is red haired.”

Sakamori grinned at the remark from the pepper haired girl. The redhead stumbled around Shirayuki to accost the girl that had quickly backed away into the corner of the counter. Unable to escape, the girl held her hands up as the wobbly redhead gripped her by her uniform for support.

“Sho, yuf met a shojo? Here at skoo?”

The girl smiled apologetically.

“Not exactly. I've seen them at work.”

Shindou perked up.

“You have a job. I thought students weren't allowed to have jobs.”

The girl frowned.

“I live in the town. I work as a waitress for a friend's diner.”

“That's so cool, Meirowasa. Where do you work at? Yuu and I'll come and visit you.”

“I wanna shee a shojo!”

Sakamori threw her arms about Meirowasa, promptly nuzzling and rubbing up against the pepper haired girl. It was too much, as Meirowasa tried to scoot out of the corner and lost her footing. Both girls tumbled to the floor.

With a smirk, Shindou raised her hand and stepped out of their station.

“Ms. Hitori. Sakamori is molesting Meirowasa.”

The teacher flipped the next page of her magazine without a glance at them.

“Are they both done making their pretzels?”

Meirowasa had been the first to finish up the project at their station, so Kurumu offered the answer.

“Yes.”

Ms. Hitori wagged her hand dismissively, still not paying them any attention.

“As long as they aren't bothering anyone, they can do whatever.”

Kurumu wondered if she should try and stop the girl. There was quite a bit of giggling from Meirowasa before her breathing finally settled down. Curious, Kurumu wandered around the island to join the smirking Shindou. Meirowasa was flush and running her fingers through her hair as Sakamori slumped across her body, passed out.

Shirayuki finished up her project, setting it carefully on a tray and carrying it over to Ms. Hitori's station. Kurumu glanced at her wrist, confirming that they were near the end of the hour. Technically they could leave once their group was finished and their station cleaned up.

“Are you going to lie there?”

“She's heavy.”

Kurumu chuckled, grabbing up a rag to wipe down the counter. She had been doing the dishes as they finished with them, so there was not much clean up left to do.

“Which diner?”

“Huh? Oh! Mix it Up.”

Kurumu perked up at the familiar name.

“That's in the grocer district, right?”

Meirowasa grunted. After some effort, the girl got back to her feet, leaving the redhead asleep on the floor. She smiled slightly at the group.

“Yea. I think your club stopped in the other day to run an ad in your paper.”

“That's right.”

Shindou perked up again.

“Hey! I'm like the captain of the freshmen girls for track.”

“There's no captain in track, Asuka.”

Shindou shushed her tall friend.

“Anyways, I'd love to see about getting an article for our team in your paper. It'd be cool.”

Kurumu frowned.

“What's in it for you?”

Shindou shrugged.

“Isn't it just another form of advertisement? I want people to know how strong, athletic and beautiful our team is. Would it be too much if you guys could run a highlight of each player? A group photo would not do me justice.”

Kurumu frowned, unsure why the girl was suddenly interested in being in her paper. She glanced over at the tall girl, but it looked like she was too busy working on her pretzel to give any context clues.

“I don't know how much space we will be giving to sports.”

Shindou shrugged.

“I guess. But if you can, you could mention that I'm also the niece of Sakigake, the clan leader of the Raiji.”

“Asuka!”

“Oh, come on! I should be allowed to throw my name around a little.”

The tall girl frowned.

“But you're not supposed to talk about your true form.”

“Oh, right. But they have to mention my uncle. Most of my kind will know his name.”

“I don't know your uncle.”

“How can you not know?”

Kurumu had no idea what the two were bickering about now but she doubted it had any relevance to her. She tossed her rag into the sink, content with the cleanliness of her station. Figuring it was time to go, she turned just as Shirayuki had returned to the station.

“I'm going to go now. I'll bring it up in club.”

Shindou nodded, waving her off.

“My uncle is awesome. You know Raiden?”

“Who?”

Kurumu shook her head, gesturing for Shirayuki to go. The girl glanced to the door, but took the hint. They both started away as the bickering behind them continued.

“Raiden, from that hack fighting game from America.”

“Well, my uncle could kick Raiden's ass!”

“But that's a game.”

They reached the end of the hallway, turning a little right with the intent of walking through the empty cafeteria. Kurumu said nothing as she regarded the girl, dressed in the long shirt with the pocket stitched in the center. Kurumu glanced at the white end of the stick that seemed to always be hanging out from the girl's lips.

“I'm sorry.”

“Huh?”

“I asked Nazohashi to bring up your uniform. I didn't know she would make such a scene.”

“Oh. I guess it is odd.”

Kurumu sighed as they passed the first row of tables just as the bell sounded the end of the period.

“If you know it is odd, why do you wear it?”

“I don't like my skin being exposed. I burn easily in the sunlight.”

Kurumu recalled a former complaint made by the girl.

“But isn't it hot wearing that? I thought you disliked the heat.”

“I do. I don't like going outside if I don't have to. That's why I don't like going to gym, though it is nice to see him.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“My boyfriend.”

Kurumu grinned.

“Ah. So you have a boyfriend.”

“Yes.”

“Who is he?”

“It's none of your business.”

Kurumu huffed.

“That's kind of rude. I don't keep my boyfriend secret from you.”

“Is your boyfriend Aono Tsukune?”

“Yes.”

“Doesn't seem like it.”

Kurumu bristled at the remark.

“What?! Why would you say that?!”

“He doesn't act like anyone's boyfriend. He's not holding your hand or kissing you. He does not pay any attention to you in class.”

Kurumu scowled.

“He's very studious. When we are alone, we do all those things.”

“A secret relationship?”

“You could say that.”

Shirayuki nodded.

“I'm the same.”

“Huh?”

She smiled softly.

“It's frustrating. I want to make our relationship public, but I know why we have to keep it a secret.”

Kurumu smiled at the remark, deathly curious whom this guy was.

“Oh, come on. Tell me who he is.”

“No.”

“Well… did you know him before coming here?”

“No.”

“Then why do you have to keep it a secret? Does he have another girlfriend?”

Shirayuki stiffened.

“Can we not talk about this?”

Kurumu pouted, but she knew she should stop. They walked through the open doors that separated the cafeteria from the large gym, surprisingly ahead of all the other girls from their class. With the early departure, they were guaranteed to be the first ones in the locker room.

“So… you're heat sensitive and don't fare well in the sun.”

“Yea.”

Kurumu smiled.

“You should wear the short sleeved blouse. I was thinking of getting myself one, since the long sleeves are sort of out of fashion for the upcoming summer months.”

“But the sun-”

“You could wear that to school. Just take it off once class begins.”

“But I-”

“Then you would fit in with the rest of the class. I'm sure you'd make more friends if you weren't so unapproachable.”

Shirayuki frowned.

“Friends? But I already have a boyfriend.”

“Boyfriends are nice, but it's good to have other friends. Like Genzouyaki. I'm sure you two would hit it off really well.”

“The girl that sleeps through class?”

Kurumu supposed that was not the best suggestion for a friend.

“Maybe Nazohashi? I know she can act like a snob, but I'm sure you could approach her if you did not look so much like a delinquent.”

“I'm a delinquent?”

Kurumu sighed, a little frustrated at this point.

“I'm just saying that Sakamori can't be your only friend in this school. The girl was passed out on the floor.”

Shirayuki shrugged.

“But you're my friend.”

Kurumu smiled with resignation. She had nothing nice to say to that. She really did not feel that much of a friend to the girl if she could not even be trusted with the name of a boyfriend. She felt like she barely knew anything about Shirayuki, beyond the fact that their mothers knew each other.

Noting the empty stage, she gestured to it.

“So… what are you going to be doing in the drama club? Are you going to act a role on the stage?”

“I'm going to be a hand.”

“A hand?”

“You know… change up props and settings. I'm really good at blending in the background, so it seemed like a natural thing to do.”

“You didn't want to act?”

“I don't like standing out.”

Kurumu grinned.

“Then I guess you won't have a problem coming to school wearing the uniform.”

Shirayuki glanced at Kurumu, gently touching the end of the white stick nestled between her lips. They were almost to the locker room, but Shirayuki slowed her step.

“My clothes. My mother made them with a special fiber from our village. It allows our skin to breathe.”

Kurumu nodded, coming to a stop where the stage started.

“Okay, but you have the skirt.”

“Yes.”

“Don't your hips need to breathe?”

The girl frowned.

“What about underwear? Don't tell me you have your bras and panties made special too.”

Shirayuki glanced away, her pale cheeks tinged pink.

“No. My mother first made a kimono for me, but that was too… I convinced her to make a couple of these but did not think about that.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“See. You're doing fine wearing normal stuff.”

Shirayuki's blush deepened.

“Not really. I… sweat.”

“You sweat?”

The girl nodded. Shirayuki abruptly started down the corridor at a brisk pace, forcing Kurumu to follow.

“Shirayuki? Every girl perspires. That's normal.”

The girl shook her head emphatically, grabbing for the handle of the door. She slipped in, not bothering to keep it open for Kurumu.

Kurumu mildly pouted, but realized she had probably embarrassed the girl with talk of perspiration. She wondered if Shirayuki had to sweat more because of her heat sensitivity. That might explain why the girl was not forced to participate in any strenuous gym activities.

“Kurumu!”

Kurumu stopped in her tracks, glancing back over her shoulder. Moka was running across the gymnasium. Tsukune was far behind, just entering the gym from the cafeteria. There was an unmistakable look of panic on the vampire's face. Confused, Kurumu wandered back towards Moka.

The vampire got to her in a matter of seconds. Moka grabbed Kurumu by the shoulder before coming to a stop, which caused Kurumu to stumble back a step. Not even the slightest out of breath, Moka gestured back to Tsukune.

“It's Yukari! She must have got out of her elective hour early!”

Kurumu frowned, shaking her head slightly.

“They took her somewhere. We could hear everything.”

“Hold on. Who took Yukari?”

“That class representative jerk. I'm going after her.”

Moka bolted for the nearest door, throwing it open and sprinting outside.

“Moka! Wait!”

Kurumu held a hand out, but the vampire was already sprinting for the woods. She clenched her fist, angry that she had not taken her usual route or she might have seen whatever it was that had Moka in a panic. Kurumu ran to the open door but paused as the vampire disappeared into the brush, kicking up leaves and dirt.

“Do you even know where you are going?!”

Kurumu sighed, turning to regard Tsukune. He was not nearly as fast as Moka, so she patiently waited for him.

“What's going on?”

“Moka… she heard…”

He came to a stop next to her. He was gasping for air between his words. Kurumu frowned, wondering why he was already winded. Was the art building that far away?

“The crystal, right? You guys heard something.”

Tsukune nodded, holding his knees as he bent over.

“Do you have any idea where?”

“She dropped her crystal near a pond. Moka says she knows where it is.”

Kurumu gestured to the woods on her right.

“How did that kid get all the way out in the woods during school hours?”

“We don’t know.”

Tsukune swallowed, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

“Ms. Ishigami would not let us leave till her class was over.”

“Well, Moka needs all the practice she can get.”

“Yea… well… I think Yukari dropped the crystal when she tried to pull out her wand. That was right before the bell rang. We have to find her.”

Kurumu sighed, glancing about her surroundings. Not seeing much of a choice, she pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it into his face. She knew a couple girls walking through the gym were staring oddly at her, but she doubted she had the time to explain. She started working on the buttons of her blouse. She figured if this was near a pond, she could find it rather quickly by flying around the forest. They might even find the little witch before Moka.

“What are you doing?!”

“I'm not ruining a blouse over this. She already cost me a skirt.”

“Kurumu!”

“If you want to find her quickly, we are going to have to fly.”

“But… everyone is…”

She scowled at him, well aware of her surroundings. He should appreciate that she was willing to do this. She grabbed the cuff of her sleeve, tugging her hand into the fabric. Slipping her arm out, she pulled the garment by the cuff off her other arm. With a quick fold, she handed it over to the blushing young man. He held onto her clothes, but looked about sheepishly like he needed the other girls' approval.

“Ready to go?”

“Kurumu… I'm not comfortable with this.”

“It's just a bra, no different than a swimsuit top.”

She directed that last remark to a girl that was regarding her with obvious judgment. Kurumu smirked with triumph as the girl looked away. Favoring Tsukune with a grin, she slipped around him to grab him about the waist. She tightened her grip as she stepped out of the gym, allowing her wings and tail to stretch out.

“Tsukune, they didn't make the uniform for girls with wings. Besides. It's not like I have anything you haven't seen.”

She could feel his interest in her spike, but quickly diminish. Smiling, she flexed her wings, taking them up into the sky. She had to adjust and tighten her grip immediately, since gravity was a pain in the ass. Tsukune was not particularly heavy, but she had to hold him in the right spot about where his rib cage started to make things easiest on her.

Kurumu scanned the foliage below. She went out only so far before veering off to her right. She doubted Moka would know about any place this far out, so it had to be a place closer to the dorms. It did not take more than a minute for Kurumu to find a large break in the forest with a sparkling body of water below.

Circling and lowering, Kurumu spied Moka walking into the clearing. The vampire gestured at Yukari, whom was pressed up against a tree with four young men hovering around her. It was that blond from the other day and his three dark haired friends.

The one with the mohawk was showing his true colors. His hands were covered in green scales with black talons jutting from his fingers. His face had elongated into a reptilian snout. The beast approached Moka slowly, his intentions uncertain.

“We have to help her!”

His concern was justified as the chubbiest of the boys started to shift into a similar reptilian form. Even the blond was starting to look more feral, his head twisting into the shape of a lizard. The blond was holding the broken haft of Yukari's wand in one hand while the other talon was curled about the girl's small arm.

Kurumu spiraled down quickly, the sounds of their voices carrying.

“… been alone.”

“What are you blathering about?! Don't you realize we are going to eat you both?!”

“Stop!”

Yukari tugged on her captor's arm, biting down on his sleeve. The man cried out in pain, yanking his arm away. With a fierce snarl, he raised his arm to strike.

“Watch out!”

Tsukune jerked out of her grasp, causing her to cry out in alarm. It was still a good couple meters to the ground. She winced at the sight of him falling hard on his feet next to the blond. His momentum forced him onto his hands and knees for a moment.

“What the hell?!”

Tsukune hobbled back onto his feet, startling the blond and the nearest lackey. He lunged for Yukari, knocking the small girl to the ground just as the blond swiped at them both. A bloody gash opened up across his shoulder, the fabric torn into ragged fragments.

“Tsukune!”

Moka pushed aside the nearest guy, hustling through the crowd. The pack of boys looked at each other, clearly confused as to what they should do about the new arrivals.

Kurumu had to circle one more time about the solitary tree near the pond before she could settle gently upon the ground. She hit the dirt with a slight skip to her step, flexing her wings to halt her momentum. Drawing her wings and tail in, she rushed over to Tsukune as Moka knelt down next to him.

Tsukune grimaced, lifting up on his hands. He hovered over a wide eyed Yukari. He gripped his injured shoulder, wincing with pain. Drawing his hand back, he regarded his bloodied hand. Forcing a smile, he lifted up, still straddling the tiny girl.

“It’s okay, Yukari. I'm sorry about before.”

Yukari's eyes fixed on his bloody hand. Her hands were balled into fists which she held tightly to her chest.

“Tsukune? Why?”

“I've been thinking. You don't have to be alone.”

Kurumu smiled as she knelt down next to him. She gingerly touched his shoulder, gripping the fabric and tugging him gently. She did not want to say it outright, but it bothered her that he was on top of this little kid.

“What do we do, Tadashi?”

“Don't wimp out on me now! The only male they have is wounded. Kill them all!”

Tsukune glanced over his bad shoulder at their assailants. Yanking away from Kurumu, he grabbed for Moka’s chest with his bloodied hand. Ignoring the squeaked protest, Tsukune pulled the cross off the chains effortlessly. Clutching the pendant, he grabbed Yukari by the arm as he tried to stumble to his feet.

Kurumu quickly stood up, trying to give him additional support by gripping his arm and side. She could feel the familiar surge of terrifying power as Moka’s true form was released. This outpouring of raw energy halted the advance of the murderous boys, some even shielding their eyes since Moka’s aura spiked with a blinding light as her hair lost its pink luster.

With Tsukune's help, she managed to get Yukari upright. The small girl stared in disbelief at the proud creature that stood nearby. Crimson eyes turned over to regard them.

“A vampire. Moka really is a vampire.”

Tsukune tugged on the little girl’s shoulder, causing her to stumble. Kurumu wanted to help, but she felt like she was only getting in the way. She let go of Tsukune, allowing him to guide Yukari away from the battle.

“Holy shit! The rumors were true!”

Moka turned a smirk on the boys gathered before her. The chubby one and the greasy haired boy looked like they were ready to run. Moka rolled her eyes, turning to Kurumu.

“Lizards? You can’t even handle a bunch of lizards?”

Kurumu frowned but quickly scowled at the haughty vampire.

“I could have handled them!”

“You can’t keep breaking the seal for every stupid thing that comes your way. You’re going to break her.”

“What? I didn’t bring you out!”

“Eight or higher. On a scale of ten, these guys are like a three.”

“A three! I’ll show you a three, you bitch!”

Kurumu barely glanced at the mohawk kid charging in. In the blink of an eye, Moka sidestepped his lunge, grabbing his extended arm and smashing her palm so hard into his upper arm that all could hear the guy’s shoulder pop out of socket. Releasing him, Moka spun around and charged at the greasy haired kid that had been lingering next to the blond.

“Shit, shit, shit!”

The chubby one started to bolt as Moka laid into the other surprised boy with a crushing lariat. As the greasy haired kid fell hard to the dirt, Moka sprung high up into the air. She landed perfectly in the path of the chubby kid’s retreat. Spinning about, she clocked the boy across the face with a shattering roundhouse that sent the kid flying off into the nearby pond.

The blond staggered back a step. The mohawk kid was crying loudly in pain while the other was rolling on the ground, groaning. He regarded Moka warily, backing away another step.

“My friends… Don’t you have any idea who I am? I am Wanibuchi, the class representative for Ms. Sunao.”

Moka lifted her crimson eyes, her grin feral.

“And this matters? Come, little iguana. Show me your authority.”

“Yes, Mr. Wanibuchi. Lose all respect if you lose now.”

Kurumu turned sharply to regard the foreigner. When had she arrived? The girl held her staff upon her shoulder, smiling that empty grin. Deshi strolled over to the place where Tsukune had fallen over Yukari. Her yellow eyes opened as she regarded the ground with a smug expression.

“Deshi!”

The blond pulled his lips back in a toothy snarl. He regarded the foreigner with distaste. With strengthened resolve, Wanibuchi brought his talons out as he turned back to face the vampire.

“You won’t make a fool of me! Die!”

Moka rolled her eyes as the large lizard pounced towards her. She idly glanced at her nails, allowing him to close the distance. At the last possible instant, she twirled aside, smacking his rump as he staggered harmlessly beside her.

“Why, you!”

He turned with a wild slash but Moka easily caught him by the wrist. She turned inside his grasp, jabbing up fiercely with an elbow that crushed his lower jaw. Fangs went flying as blood started to profusely dribble out of his mouth.

“Such power. Very interesting.”

Kurumu could only nod, cringing as Moka reversed her grip while slipping beneath the Wanibuchi’s arm. Wrenching his arm back, Moka savagely kicked at the side of his knee, taking the boy down. On his knees, Wanibuchi had no defense as Moka swung about a vicious kick that laid him out on the ground.

Shaking her head, Moka walked away from the unconscious foe. She clapped her hands together as if dusting them off.

“More like a two.”

Kurumu felt a pang of guilt. If she had acted quicker, she could have charmed all of these guys without anybody having to get hurt. She knew she was going to get a scolding from this Moka. Pouting, she turned away from the approaching vampire.

She first noticed that the foreigner was gone. She was a little confused, but turned her attention to the other two. Tsukune was grinning, though still in pain. He had a hand resting on Yukari’s shoulder while the other gripped his injured shoulder. The little girl did not seem the least bit unnerved. Her eyes swept about the scene, finally resting upon the vampire with unmasked admiration.

“I see. You break the bones to compensate for a monster’s natural healing abilities.”

Tsukune frowned.

“Yukari. Violence is not the answer to everything.”

Yukari shook her head animatedly, pulling away from Tsukune.

“You don’t understand. She clearly has the power to kill them.”

Moka huffed, coming up next to Kurumu.

“There was no challenge in killing them.”

Kurumu swallowed.

“Have you ever killed anyone?”

Moka’s lips moved for a moment. The vampire huffed, crossing her arms about her chest while turning her head away.

“Of course.”

“Moka.”

There was such a sad look in his eyes as he regarded the vampire. Moka saw this, tensing up as she scowled at Tsukune.

“Don’t give me that crap! If you don’t like it, stop dragging me out for nothing. Where is my rosary?”

Tsukune frowned, quickly checking his person. He glanced about the ground.

“I think Ms. Deshi took it.”

Moka sighed, regarding the little girl. Uncrossing her arms, the vampire started for the woods.

“That must be that girl that wandered in. I’ll find her.”

Tsukune took a step towards Moka.

“Moka, wait. We can look for her together.”

“Leave me alone, Tsukune! I can’t even count on you to keep the rosary safe. I’ll go get her myself!”

Moka stormed off into the brush. Tsukune took another step, though there was no way he could catch up to a vampire. Kurumu pounced over to him, grabbing him by his good arm and shaking her head.

“Don’t, Tsukune. We should stay with Yukari.”

The little girl laughed. Picking her hat up off the ground, she plopped it atop her head.

“I’m interested to see what happens.”

Kurumu frowned, turning on the little girl.

“Yukari?”

“Serves her right for almost getting me killed.”

“What?”

Yukari nonchalantly held her hands up.

“She said if I kept the crystal active that Moka would be able to find and rescue me if I ever got in trouble.”

Kurumu’s eyes widened.

“You… you set this up?!”

Yukari frowned at them.

“Are you both simpletons? I’m not a complete idiot to allow a bunch of guys to lead me out into the woods without questioning their motives.”

Tsukune blushed, rubbing the back of his head.

“I guess I didn’t think of it like that.”

“Wait a second. How did Deshi know to come here?”

Yukari stared at Kurumu dumbly.

“The crystals were hers to begin with. She probably has a locate spell tied to them in case she ever drops one. I have the same charm on my keys.”

Kurumu paused, glancing at Tsukune.

“Do you think that stealing the rosary was her goal?”

Yukari blinked with astonishment.

“I was used?”

The girl paused, looking down at the ground. Her eyes were wide with shock.

“I… no way. She said she loved magical items but… no way.”

Tsukune knelt down before the girl, forcing a smile.

“Yukari, it’s going to be okay.”

Yukari shook her head, backing away.

“No, it’s my fault. I… I made a mistake. I should have kept that in mind. Nobody likes being around a witch.”

Tsukune reached out to the girl, but Yukari drew back as if he had meant to hit her. Standing back up, he frowned at the girl.

“It will be okay, Yukari. I’m sure Ms. Deshi will explain herself. I doubt she wanted for you to get hurt.”

“Of course she did! Because I scored better than her! I should have suspected something was wrong when she let me borrow those crystals she had been toying with yesterday morning. She tricked me into taking them!”

“Yukari.”

“And I should have… I should have thought something was wrong when she quickly found me after school and told me about using the crystal to get Moka to come and save me. I should have…”

Tsukune quickly swept the girl up in a hug, holding her tight. Yukari staggered under his weight, grabbing his sides. Her eyes filled with anguish as she tried to push him away.

“No! It’s my fault! Let go of me!”

Kurumu felt uncomfortable watching this. She purposely grabbed him by his injured shoulder, tugging him off the girl.

“Let her go, Tsukune.”

He winced, pushing her hand off his open wound. The break in his grip gave Yukari the opening to scramble away from him, backing up against the tree. He looked at her inquisitively, but she promptly turned her eyes aside to regard the poor girl. Yukari looked like she was on the brink of tears.

“Tsukune is right, Yukari. She might have tricked you, but she probably did not think you would be hurt.”

“How can you both be so naïve?! She’s a monster and monsters hate witches!”

Tsukune smiled.

“We are here for you, Yukari.”

Yukari’s lower lip trembled. She shook her head. Kurumu smiled softly.

“You can cry if you want to. You don’t have to hold it back.”

“I’m not crying!”

Yukari rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I’m not a little kid. I’m not crying.”

Kurumu grinned. She moved around Tsukune and hunkered down in front of the little girl.

“You’ll feel much better if you do.”

“I’m not crying. I’m not.”

But she was. Yukari kept wiping away the tears as she sniffled between mild sobs. Kurumu gently touched the girl’s shoulder, letting her hand rest there while Yukari stubbornly tried to keep her composure.

“It's okay.”

“We're both here for you, Yukari.”

Yukari bit her lip. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“But… but I… I was so mean.”

Kurumu smiled, rubbing Yukari's shoulder gently.

“It's okay.”

Yukari bowed her head, leaning in. She draped her arms about Kurumu's neck, pressing her face against Kurumu's shoulder. The small girl cried softly, her small body tensing with each strangled sob.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry.”

Kurumu smiled, closing her eyes as she held the girl close to her. She wondered if this was how it felt to be a mother.

* * *

Kurumu carried her busted hamper up the last stair, setting it down on the landing next to the door. She rapped the back of her hand against the glass, knowing it was still early enough for someone to be awake. It was only a little after nine.

It had taken some time for Yukari to calm down. By that point, Kurumu had redressed and a disoriented Moka had wandered back to them. She had her rosary back, but like all the other times, she had no idea what had happened while in her true form. Yukari had asked about Deshi, but this Moka did not even know the foreigner had been involved.

They had arrived back at the academy late for the final hour, escorting Yukari to her class. Ms. Nekonome had favored them with a mild admonishment for tardiness before resuming her lecture.

With Nazohashi taking off promptly at the end of class, they stopped over at Yukari's class to check on her before heading back to the dorms for the evening. The little witch was in the middle of an apology to her class, so they had decided it best to leave her be.

At dinner, Tsukune had tried to explain what had happened at the pond to Moka. The vampire had shrugged it off, supposing that she must have caught up with Deshi and got the rosary back. Tsukune had dropped the conversation and they had went their separate ways once the meal was over.

Moka was asleep by now. Kurumu knocked on the door again, spying a couple boys milling about at the far end of the hallway. She thought about forcing one of them to open the door, but was not in the mood for charms. She simply knocked louder, hoping one of them would be intrigued.

The nearest door on her right opened and Yamabato poked his head out into the hallway. She quickly glanced aside as he grinned at her. The boy slipped out of his room, still wearing the slacks from school but his shirt was unbuttoned. He pushed open the glass door, running his other hand through his slick, black hair.

“Moving in?”

Kurumu chuckled as she picked up her hamper.

“No. I'm doing laundry with Tsukune.”

“Ah, wife's duties.”

Holding the lip of the hamper below her bosom, she slipped around him into the hallway. She crinkled her nose, still uncertain how these guys could live like this. She started down the hall, aware that Yamabato was following on her heels.

“So… heard you were stripping for Tsukune in the gym today.”

“We had to fly somewhere. An emergency.”

“Really? I heard you were a succubus.”

Kurumu stopped in front of Tsukune's door, setting her hamper down. She smiled, glancing aside at her escort.

“I am.”

“You have to tell me. Why him?”

Kurumu hesitated from knocking on the door. She supposed it was fair question, though she doubted she could give anyone a satisfying answer.

“He's a nice guy.”

“There are lots of nice guys in the school.”

She shrugged.

“I'm attracted to him.”

“Yea, but why?”

She smiled, knocking on the door.

“Tsukune. Tsukune. Yamabato is going to take our picture now.”

Yamabato snapped his fingers, nodding. He gestured at her before turning about on his heel.

“I'll go get that camera.”

Kurumu waited for the boy to retreat into his bedroom. Knocking again, she leaned up against the door, peering through the hole she had created last week. She spied a topless Tsukune frantically moving about, gathering up toilet paper.

“What are you doing? Open the door.”

“Hold on. Give me a second.”

“I already see what you are doing. What happened?”

Tsukune sighed heavily. Holding wads of white paper in his hands, he started for the door. He drew the bolt back and opened the door. His face was a little flush as he slipped around the door, holding it open for her.

“It's kind of a mess.”

Kurumu could tell with a glance that this was not his fault. She smiled, looking over his smooth, bruised skin. She wanted to touch him. Flexing her hands, she grabbed up her hamper to keep them occupied.

“So who trashed your room?”

Tsukune sighed again.

“I don't know. I came back from dinner and found the place like this. I was ignoring it, figuring I would do my homework first.”

Kurumu strolled into his room, setting her hamper aside.

“Didn't you have laundry to do?”

“Well… I threw away the shirt.”

Kurumu frowned.

“How many did you have?”

Tsukune rubbed the back of his head as he wandered into his room. The door started to drift back shut. Tsukune glanced about, grabbing a small wastebasket to toss the wads of paper into.

“I only had two.”

“Tsukune.”

“It can't be helped. I can't repair a tear like that.”

The door kicked open as Yamabato strolled into the room holding a bulky, green camera. He glanced about the room with a bewildered look and then winced at the sight of Tsukune.

“Oh, damn. What happened to your shoulder?”

Tsukune frowned, reflexively touching the wound. To avoid attention, Tsukune had borrowed Moka's jacket for the rest of the day. It had not been a perfect fit, but it was better than walking about campus with a gaping wound. He had returned her jacket after dinner.

“The emergency. We had to rescue a little girl.”

Yamabato grimaced, holding his camera close to his chest.

“Is that corrosive? I hear those don't heal nicely. Leave nasty scars.”

They both answered at the same time, though contradicting. Kurumu frowned at Tsukune, confused why he would lie about his injury. When Yamabato favored her with an inquisitive look, she merely shrugged without comment.

“Okay… do you want to be wearing a shirt in this picture?”

“Yes, I do. Hold on.”

Tsukune quickly went to his closet, opening it. He tossed out a bunch of wads of toilet paper along with a couple entire rolls that had been stuffed in there. He fished out a crimson tee, promptly pulling it over his head.

“When did this happen?”

“Huh?”

Yamabato smirked, picking up a roll of toilet paper.

“This.”

“Tsukune says it happened today. Is he getting picked on?”

“Kurumu!”

“What?”

“I wouldn't say that.”

Yamabato started to laugh, shaking his finger at Tsukune.

“Though you have to admit… cheese slices.”

Tsukune chuckled, shaking his head.

“That's not funny. It took a long time to get all that down.”

Kurumu looked between the two, confused.

“What?”

“Someone broke into his room Sunday and glued cheese slices to his ceiling. It took us hours to get that all down.”

Tsukune scowled with a snorted laugh.

“It took me hours. You guys just laughed.”

“At least they were individually wrapped. Could you imagine how messy it would have been if they had glued the cheese directly?”

Kurumu frowned.

“That's gross. You have to know who did it, Yamabato.”

Yamabato shook his head.

“I really don't. I don't think Aku knew either. He's too stupid to play dumb that well.”

Kurumu smirked, unsure if she should take his word on that. She did not even know who this Aku was. Moving away from Yamabato, she slipped beside Tsukune.

“Will you take a hundred yen's worth in laundry tokens?”

Yamabato waved his hand dismissively. He gestured the camera at them.

“Naw, I was only kidding about that. You two want to hold each other or something?”

Tsukune frowned.

“I don't want to freak out my parents. They won't see me for months and I can't have my mother thinking I'm with a girl.”

Yamabato shrugged, gesturing at them again with the camera.

“It's a picture with her. Your mother would ask regardless of what you do.”

“Hey!”

“I'm just saying.”

“Maybe this isn't a good idea. We should take a picture with Moka.”

“No. We are taking this picture. If you don't want to send it to your parents, then I'm going to keep it.”

“Well… I…”

Kurumu sighed.

“I'm sure Morioka can take a picture of the whole newspaper club. Would that be acceptable to send to your parents?”

“I… yea. That might not be a bad idea at all.”

There was a slight pause as they said nothing. She smiled, thinking this was a decent compromise for now. It was also a good picture for Moka to have to send to her parents. Heck, she might even send such a picture to her mother, figuring it would not matter to her which boy was which.

“Are we taking this picture?”

Kurumu laughed at Yamabato's tone. She nodded, promptly stepping in front of Tsukune. She turned her back to him, facing the camera.

“What are you doing?”

“This is my picture.”

She held her hands up at her shoulders, waving for him to hand his over.

“Give me your hands. You don't have to stand so far away.”

“But Kurumu-”

“It's just a picture. Come on.”

His hands timidly touched hers. Smiling, she stepped back against him, pulling his hands over so his arms draped over her. She felt him tense up, but she relaxed her grip, tilting her head slightly.

“Does that look good?”

Yamabato smirked, lifting the camera.

“If he didn't look like he was about to faint.”

“This feels awkward.”

Yamabato waved at them.

“Drop your right arm, Tsukune.”

“She has my hand.”

“Well move it to her belly. It doesn't need to be in the picture.”

Kurumu nodded, adjusting her hold on his hand. She felt the stirrings of Tsukune's desire as she pressed closer to him. She swallowed, forcing a smile as she rested her palm over his.

“That looks better. Now smile.”

Kurumu smiled as Yamabato lifted the camera. She watched his finger press down on the black button on the side, splashing the room with white light for a moment. As she blinked at the purplish spots in her eyes, she saw a rectangle churn out of the camera. Yamabato tugged the square out the end and started shaking it.

“One more.”

“Huh?”

“He may not want to send it to his parents, but he should have a picture of his girlfriend.”

“She's not my girlfriend.”

Yamabato chuckled.

“If you say so. Now smile.”

Kurumu found it harder to smile with Tsukune's denial so fresh in the air. The room flashed once again. Yamabato lowered the camera, shaking the photo in his hand as he approached them. Tsukune pointedly backed away from her, easily escaping her lax grip on his hands. She stepped back and aside as Yamabato handed her the first photo.

“So… one for each of you.”

“Thanks.”

Yamabato grinned, handing Tsukune the other.

“So… not your girlfriend, eh?”

Tsukune scowled, taking the picture from Yamabato.

“I've already told you guys this. Neither of them are.”

“That must be why you need that magazine of mine.”

Tsukune's ears reddened. His brown eyes filled with alarm as he grabbed Yamabato by the sleeve.

“Can we not talk about that?”

“What magazine?”

Yamabato grinned at her.

“Modern Muscle.”

“What?”

“Yea, Tsukune here likes to look at the finely sculpted muscles of body builders.”

“What are you talking about?! I don't read that stuff!”

“At least he's honest about not reading the articles.”

Kurumu frowned, unsure what Yamabato was talking about but she could tell by the tone he was teasing Tsukune.

“What's the real magazine?”

“It's nothing, Kurumu. Just something guys would be interested in.”

Yamabato shrugged.

“Some girls might be. I'm loving this dorm life. At home I couldn't even think of having such a thing without getting a headache from my mother.”

“Kamitsuku.”

Tsukune's fierce whisper strongly suggested she was not supposed to know about this. While she had not picked up on it right away, she could only think of one sort of magazine a parent would not want a young man to have.

“You may leave now.”

Yamabato frowned at her.

“You serious?”

“Yea, thanks for the pictures, but Tsukune and I have to clean up his room and do laundry. It's going to be a long night.”

Yamabato smirked, cradling his camera in his armpit.

“Okay then. I'll see you guys in class tomorrow.”

Kurumu smiled, bowing slightly to the boy.

“I will see you then.”

Kurumu waited for the tall boy to exit the room. Finally alone with Tsukune, she went to the door and promptly locked it.

“Kurumu?”

She could feel his worry was soaked in lust. Ignoring that, she walked back to him. Smiling, she slipped around him to regard the contents of his closet.

“So… girl magazines?”

Tsukune gagged.

There was not much to select from. She grabbed the black shirt of the pair that had still been hanging. Bending over, she pulled out his drawers, quickly finding a red pair of shorts with yellow stripes down the sides. Figuring she could squeeze into that, she pulled it out.

“What do you plan to see in them?”

“It's not a girl magazine.”

Kurumu smirked, sensing that was a lie. She wandered back over to her hamper, flipping up the lid. And here she had brought the sheets she had soiled thinking of him. She felt betrayed.

“I can always ask him directly. I can charm the truth out of him.”

Tsukune sighed.

“You really shouldn't use your charm like that.”

“Tsukune. You're going to marry me, right?”

“We just talked about this yesterday.”

“I know, but… I don't want you looking at other girls naked.”

Tsukune sighed deeper, hanging his head.

“When I moved here, I didn't even really think about things. When Yamabato and Tanboshi were helping me clean up that mess Sunday night, that's when the magazine was mentioned. It hadn't even crossed my mind.”

“What do you mean?”

“That I could buy such a thing. I didn't really think about the freedom I have to do things I could never do before. I mean, look at the time. There's no way I'd have a girl over at my house this hour of the night.”

Kurumu gnawed on her lower lip. If they were talking about freedoms, there were a few ideas she had in regards to that.

“I could spend the night if you want.”

Tsukune gagged, though his body clearly liked the thought. He turned away from her, shaking his head.

“That's what I mean. Yea, we probably could. But that's a bit serious. Far more than looking at a bunch of pictures of girls I will never meet.”

Kurumu had seen so many sleazy movies her mother had left out that she doubted she possessed the moral high ground to admonish him. Still she hated the thought of him looking at naked women.

“Was it ugly?”

“What?”

“My… you know.”

The hunger from him assured her that he did.

“I'm going to change now.”

“What?!”

“Don't look. Unless you want to.”

She waited a good couple seconds to see if he would budge. His body tensed up, but he looked resolute. Smiling softly, she pulled her sweater off and dropped it into the hamper. In a matter of seconds, her blouse and bra joined the sweater. He still had not budged and his desire had not risen to a point that she would suspect him looking. Not sure if she was happy or disappointed, she pulled his black shirt over her torso.

“I'm dressing in your clothes.”

“Yea.”

“I love you, Tsukune.”

“Kurumu.”

She reached under her skirt and pulled down her panties. She stepped out of them a bit awkwardly as she was not trying to remove her shoes. She ended up doing it anyways, straightening back up to toss the cotton briefs into the hamper. She fluffed out his shorts, pulling them up under her skirt. They were a little loose but she figured her hips could hold them up. She loosened up her skirt, letting it fall down to her knees before stepping out and tossing it in with the rest of her things.

“Okay, finished.”

Timidly, Tsukune glanced over his shoulder. She glanced away, picking up the hamper, though she could tell he was smiling.

“You should get your things.”

“I'm not going to have you carrying that.”

“I have sexy panties in here this time.”

“I think I'll manage.”

Kurumu smiled as he started collecting up his things. She had gotten her picture and she was going to tease him a little with the underwear when they started laundry. That would be more than enough for one night. She only hoped he was too innocent to figure out why her sheets were in the mix.


	18. A Human Issue

A persistent beeping beside her head roused her from her slumber. Kurumu moaned as she rolled onto her back, her temple bumping against the noisome device. This was not the familiar sound of her alarm clock. Her eyes flittered open, regarding the ceiling.

Where was she?

She sat up with a frown, dragging the sheet off her. She was wearing the shirt from last night. With a glance about, she realized she must have fallen asleep in his room. She had been listening to one of his Dragon Ash albums, which was a bit rougher than the music she was used to but it was okay. She had jokingly nestled down on his pillow, claiming there was no way she would sleep listening to that racket.

There had been a really soothing song in there that she had really liked. She had closed her eyes and now she was here. She grabbed the buzzing device next to her head and brought it about. It was half past six. Covering her yawn, she freed her legs from her sheet. She did not recall having it out, but Tsukune must have covered her with it at some point.

She glanced over to her left, noting that Tsukune had wrapped himself up in a blanket and was sleeping on the floor. She realized it was her sheets he had drawn over her. He must have pulled them out of her hamper.

She had not flirted nearly as much as she thought she would last night. Showing off her different panties had taken a couple minutes at best, even with him nervous about seeing them. She supposed every surge of desire for her would be mild in comparison to the incident in the infirmary.

As their things washed, they had discussed their concerns over Moka's true form. Tsukune had admitted some worry over Ms. Deshi, having not seen the girl in Yukari's class. Kurumu had reassured him that their Moka would have said something if she had woken up to some grisly sight.

As Kurumu turned the annoying thing off, she wondered if Moka’s true form was the only thing she should have discussed last night. She had no real interest in the crimson eyed woman that had threatened her only two weeks ago. It would not surprise her if that Moka had killed Deshi and moved somewhere else before transforming back. It was not the sort of thing she wanted to discuss.

While she had been quite occupied with determining how natural it was for her to desire a physical relationship with Tsukune, the slow heal of his shoulder injury had reminded her of something quite important. Tsukune was not a witch. As crazy as it sounded, she was starting to consider the possibility that he was human. And if Moka also was aware of this, it would explain much of the resistance of her having a relationship with him.

That should be impossible. This was an academy for monsters trying to integrate into human society. There was no reason for a human to be enrolled in such a place. It was hard to imagine his enrollment was some clerical error. In the least, some acquaintance of Tsukune or his family must have ties to the administration of Yokai Academy. Or the simpler explanation was that he was some form of monster she knew nothing about.

Settling on her hands and knees, Kurumu crawled over to Tsukune. She smiled at his sleeping expression, tempted with the thought of stealing a kiss. Knowing she could not entertain such impulses without knowing his true form, she brushed his bangs aside.

He had his blanket wrapped quite securely about him. Suspecting he might wake if she tried too hard to free him of it, she settled down beside him. Not wanting him to be charmed with any thoughts she had in mind if he did open those eyes, Kurumu twisted about to press her back against him.

It was much too late to allow herself to fall asleep next to him, especially if that had been his only alarm. But it might be nice if he woke up with some delicious desire directed upon her. She reached behind her, feeling his arm and tracing her way down to his hand. With care, she eased his hand over her side before directing it up against her bosom.

There was no immediate reaction, but eventually his hand gripped her tit with pleasant firmness. He stirred, squeezing her breast delightfully. She could feel his interest in her rise. With a devilish grin, she wiggled her rump against him. Though there were sheets and clothes between them, she knew his body was reacting.

Tsukune jerked up, though she pointedly pushed his palm against her to keep it in place. His body pulled away, though she heard him gasp. His shoulder apparently had yet to heal.

“Kurumu?”

“Mhm?”

Tsukune tried to extract his hand to no avail.

“What time is it?”

“I turned the alarm off.”

“We should probably get dressed.”

She sighed, aware that he had pushed down his desire. Releasing his hand, she rolled onto her back in the small space he had created between them. With her head still tilted aside, she cupped her breast and rolled her thumb about the spot of fabric that protected her nipple.

Five minutes.

“Tsukune… are you human?”

The silence was remarkably tense. It was like that first day when Saizou had brought up the absurd notion of there being a human in their class.

Tsukune forced a laugh.

“You’re joking, right? There’s no way I could be human.”

He was a terrible liar. She felt she should be angry with him for not being honest, though that poor denial was about the same as a confession.

“You know… as your girlfriend. I should know these things.”

“Well, I uh… if I were hypothetically a human, wouldn’t that be a problem?”

Only if Moka knew about this from the start. She sighed, realizing that was probably an inevitable truth. That was really annoying. It felt like she had been thrust back to square one. All her progress with him meant so little if he had been keeping an important secret like that with Moka.

“Kurumu?”

“No.”

“Kurumu?”

“I… well, no.”

It was hard to voice her real problem with the revelation. From what she understood, finding a human was her only way of being free of this insatiable curse her body inflicted upon her. Tsukune being human was perfect for her.

“I guess I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

She smiled at the slight waver in his voice.

“I love you.”

Tsukune sheepishly laughed.

“Yea, you’ve said that.”

“That won’t change. I just…”

Kissing him could make him her slave. What would happen to him if they had sex? As much as she thought of her mother as a shameless whore, she had never confirmed anything. Was it possible her father had died making her? That thought terrified her, bringing a sharp pain to her chest.

“Kurumu?”

“I don’t know, Tsukune. I’m scared.”

Tsukune slowly got to his feet. Scratching his head for a moment, he started for his closet.

“Well… it’s hypothetical. So there’s nothing to be scared about.”

Part of her wanted to believe that. It meant she could carry on without any concerns for his welfare. She sat up, regarding her hamper. It would be nice to give him a little strip tease.

Tsukune opened his closet, retrieving a dress shirt. Removing the shirt he slept in revealed that his wound had not healed in the slightest. It looked redder than yesterday, like a rash was developing. He pulled his dress shirt over his torso.

“Does Moka know?”

“Huh?”

“That you are hypothetically a human.”

He paused, holding the slacks. She could tell he was struggling with the decision to continue the charade. Her throat tightened.

“When I found out what this school was, I almost resigned the first day. I was going to pack up my things and leave.”

She forced herself to take a deep breath. She could not allow herself to cry.

“She convinced you to stay?”

“Well, Saizou attacked her. When I tried to help, I accidentally removed her rosary.”

“Oh. I see.”

“I often wonder what would have happened if I had not been here?”

Kurumu’s heart sank at this sentiment. It sounded like Tsukune believed he was here to protect Moka. With his unique ability to remove the rosary, he could get them out of most situations. While she understood the logic, she knew Tsukune held some of the blame for those encounters.

“Tsukune. You are in much more danger than Moka will ever be. Even sealed away, she isn’t a fragile human.”

He laughed, still holding the slacks to his waist.

“Good thing this is all hypothetical.”

She smiled, aware that he was attempting to lighten the mood. A tear rolled down one cheek, startling her. She choked on her next breath, quickly brushing the back of her wrist against the offending moisture.

“Kurumu?”

A droplet rolled down her other cheek.

“I’m sorry.”

The harder she tried to stop, the quicker the tears formed. There was too much. Fear, disappointment, anxiety, anger, regret. This notion that she could potentially harm Tsukune left her hopelessly lost. Any attempt to dismiss it felt like willful ignorance or irrational optimism. Wiping away her tears became a task for both hands.

“I’m sorry.”

What else could she say? Her breath was too ragged to manage much more and she could not explain this. She could not.

Arms draped around her, strongly pulling her back. When did he…? Her jaw trembled as he held her close. She lowered her hands, her mind tumbling. Tsukune was on her, initiating contact, and nothing was better. Her torso shuddered as her eyes stung with fresh tears.

“Kurumu. Please.”

His breath was hot against the back of her ear. She knew she had to stop. She had to.

“I’m sorry.”

* * *

As they walked down the trail to school, Kurumu knew there was little chance of them making the first bell without some serious effort. They had lost so much time in his room before she had calmed down enough to be functional. He had even allowed her to keep her things in his room, worried that they would miss Moka at breakfast.

Such fears were completely unfounded. While Moka failed to appear at breakfast, the vampire had been waiting for them on the trail. Before it could even register in Kurumu’s listless state, Moka had snatched Tsukune up for a quick nip.

This incident had instigated another fit of debilitating tears. She had no idea how sensible her sobbing complaints had been, but it resulted in being dragged away from the path to avoid unwanted attention.

She was a vampire. He was a human. Was drinking his blood safe? How much was safe to take? Were there any long term issues that could result from this? It had been so much easier to deal with Moka’s fixation on Tsukune’s blood when it had been a matter of jealousy.

While she had not babbled anything that would endanger Tsukune, she guessed he must have made Moka aware of her new understanding. The vampire tried to assuage her concerns, but Tsukune was Moka’s first. As crazy as it sounded for a vampire to not drink blood till high school, she had never known Moka to lie about things. And as her first, Moka could not know her limits, considering the different states of lethargy Tsukune displayed afterwards.

It had not taken long before her newfound strength depleted. She felt utterly exhausted and not the least bit comforted. In the least Moka had promised to be more careful with Tsukune. It bothered Kurumu that Moka was not more concerned about harming him. She wished she could feel more optimistic, but life had never proven that a wise course of action.

As they neared the end of the woods, Kurumu noticed quite the gathering ahead. A glance at her watch confirmed they had already missed the first bell. It was odd to see so many students lingering this far from the school grounds.

Emerging from the woods, Kurumu spied a couple familiar figures at the school gate. Sporting the sweater variation of their uniform, Nazohashi stood at the end of the haphazard line the students had formed. She was holding a portfolio and conversing with each student. After taking a sheet of paper from the individual, the student would pass her by and quickly hurry to the front doors.

“Official work of the Newspaper club. Turn this in at the gate.”

The papers Nazohashi was collecting were being distributed by Yukari. The little witch was standing halfway down the procession with a satchel slung about her, explaining the purpose of the delay. Several students were grumbling about the delay, though it did not appear to bother Yukari.

“What are they doing?”

Tsukune shrugged as they came to a halt at the end of the line. Something felt off. Why was everyone willingly participating? There was easily over fifty students here. They were all going to be late.

Nazohashi was not the only gatekeeper in this event. Morioka hovered by the other gate post with his own portfolio, though his share of the line was pointedly moving slower. Compared to Nazohashi, he was notably more talkative with the disgruntled students. He had an unfamiliar child helping him, though it did not improve the pace of his line.

“We should help.”

While Kurumu lacked Moka’s enthusiasm, she realized she could not take another step. There was this foreign, oppressive sense that she could not cut in line.

“Dammit, witch! Release me from this spell!”

Yukari turned her nose up at the angry student.

“I have done nothing of the sort.”

“Bullshit! I’m going to tear that smug look off your face!”

“You will not!”

Upon hearing Moka’s declaration, Yukari’s face brightened. With a delighted cry, the little witch ran down the line. She launched up into Moka’s arms, nuzzling her cheek against Moka’s bosom and losing her hat in the process.

Oddly, the angered student made no attempt to pursue. With a shake of his head, the boy crossed his arms about his burly chest and resumed the slow march to the school gate.

“Yukari!”

Moka mewled as the little witch had seamlessly transitioned to molesting. While this influence prevented her from stepping ahead of Moka, it did not hinder her from landing a solid knock on Yukari’s head. She hit with more force than intended, knocking the offender to the ground.

“Ow, you bitch!”

Kurumu cut back her apology to the runt. The tardy bell sounded out, causing all the gathered students to protest.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Yukari sprang to her feet with a scowl.

“It’s not me! I was stopped by those two earlier.”

“What?”

“I know everyone assumes the witch is to blame, but this barrier was erected before I even got here!”

Nazohashi looked up from her portfolio, regarding the assembly.

“I’m sorry, everyone. Please inform your teacher that you were participating in a Newspaper club activity.”

The conclusion was startling. Kurumu was quite certain Morioka could not be the source of this. Nazohashi had done something. She imagined this was some sort of vortex. Nazohashi had created some sort of spiritual field that was pulling her in. No. That was not quite it. She felt she could leave if she wanted to. It was Yokai Academy. She could not set foot on the grounds without going through Nazohashi. Was that even possible?

“I try to get to school real early, before most of the rabble arrive. Those two were in quite the mess with the faculty when I arrived.”

“The faculty?”

“Whatever she did, nobody could enter the school without her permission.”

Kurumu sighed. This was a lot of trouble over gathering information for their paper. She wished Morioka would have said something about this, though she had missed the past couple days of club.

“So you’re helping them?”

“Of course. As a new member of the Newspaper club, it only makes sense.”

Kurumu gagged. While she had made an offer of friendship yesterday, the thought of this troublemaker joining the club had not crossed her mind.

“Oh, that’s nice.”

Moka laughed nervously. Kurumu did not feel the need to be polite.

“Why would you join the Newspaper club? You realize that guy is quite difficult to be around.”

Plopping her hat back on her head, Yukari huffed as she crossed her arms about her flat chest.

“Of course I would join your club. You agreed to be my friends and Moka is my darling. What other club could I possibly join?”

“But weren’t you already in a club?”

Kurumu was a bit surprised with Tsukune’s remark. It was not a protest but a genuine inquiry.

“I was toying with the idea of the Astronomy Club. Ever since I was little, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut.”

“You are little.”

“You are distracting me.”

Yukari pulled a trio of papers from the satchel and handed them over.

“Please fill these out and turn them in at the gate. I trust you have your own writing utensils.”

With an indignant huff, Yukari walked off to resume her duties. At least a dozen students had appeared behind them, though it looked like over half of those that had preceded them had been let through. Quite the gap had developed between them and the others during the conversation.

Kurumu could not move until Moka started. She had to admit, this was an amazing ability. She could see why it might not be so useful when it came to fighting threats like Saizou, but this was probably how it felt like to be under her charm. As long as she wanted to go to class, she had to move according to Nazohashi’s will.

Kurumu glanced at the sheet. It was a harmless survey requesting generic information. There was little reason for her to fill one of these out. Nazohashi was well aware of her name, homeroom and club membership. She supposed she could fill out the part about what she would want to see in a newspaper, though that part was just a bunch of suggestions she could check mark. There was a box for other and a write-in space, but she doubted any of these late arrivals would spare the time for that.

As they drew closer, Kurumu took note of the child assisting Morioka. The girl had the same tan skin and raven braids as the class representative, though she was dressed in a simple green and white striped sundress. The surroundings beyond the girl were still visible, almost like a phantom.

Yukari had mentioned no entry without permission. While it appeared like Morioka was the one in charge of his line, every student did speak a word or two with the shy, phantom child.

“You three are coming through me.”

Nazohashi’s declaration fixed her course. Kurumu felt unable to approach Morioka’s line. Something oppressive clamped down about her soul. It was like everything before her had been removed and there was only this bottomless well before her. Her legs were moving but it felt like she was sinking in a thick fluid. The only way to lessen the severity was to take a deliberate step back.

“This feels so strange.”

Kurumu nodded at Tsukune’s remark. For the sake of time, it probably was better to go through Nazohashi. The class representative was easily moving three times as many students as the apparition. Unlike Morioka, Nazohashi would only ask a single question of each student after taking their paper. Oddly, it was often a question that would be answered by the survey.

It was only a matter of a couple minutes to reach the front of the line. Nazohashi held a hand out to Moka.

“Could everyone else please go through the other line? We have club matters to discuss.”

Morioka chuckled.

“Are you sure about that? Your little helper here keeps tripping over her words.”

“Just have her ask them what day it is. Everyone here is aware that today is April 28th. Hand your paper to Senior and tell the girl the date. I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”

There was some grumbling as the remaining students behind them veered over to Morioka’s side.

“Tora, I’m sorry. If you had mentioned something about it, we would have helped.”

Nazohashi wagged her hand dismissively.

“There’s only so much help possible in this situation. As you can tell, only I can grant access to the school grounds.”

Kurumu felt it had to be asked.

“What is that?”

“A projection of my soul.”

“What does that mean?”

“She’s like an interactive memory. I had to conjure her up once things got busy. We were fortunate Ms. Sendou agreed to assist us. I don’t know how we would have managed if Senior was not helping her deal with this.”

“I sense someone talking about me.”

Yukari returned with a grin. She yanked the satchel strap carefully up over the tip of her hat, setting it down.

“I was saying how much of an asset you were in our efforts.”

“I certainly was. I think most of the students have shown up by now. Assuming I was the first, I counted seven hundred sixty seven in total.”

“That’s a lot of students.”

“Naturally there will be some stragglers, but I’m guessing you will be having her deal with that.”

“Hopefully it won’t come to that. I would like to take the barrier down soon. This is rather exhausting.”

“This… this is impressive, Nazohashi.”

The class rep grinned at his remark.

“It wasn’t easy. I don’t think I could have done it without Senior’s help.”

Yukari snorted.

“Don’t be silly. Clearly you’re the one that erected it.”

“I think she means as emotional support.”

Nazohashi blushed.

“I… well… anyways. You probably should head to class, Ms. Sendou. Moka, what time is it?”

As Moka glanced down at her watch, Kurumu noted Nazohashi did as well.

“Eight after eight.”

Moka staggered forward.

“What just happened?”

“You should also go to class, Moka. While Ms. Nekonome is aware of our little activity, at least one of us should let her know we’re almost done.”

Yukari promptly snagged up Moka’s hand.

“We can go together!”

“Um… okay.”

The other line was almost depleted. While the remaining students were quite agitated, not a single one was sticking around to complain after answering the little girl’s inquiry. Most took off at almost a sprint for the door.

“You look terrible, Ms. Kurono.”

The remark startled her. She forced a smile, brushing her bangs aside as she regarded the retreating witch and vampire.

“It’s been a rough morning.”

Nazohashi nodded. She held a fist up to her lips, pointedly scanning their surroundings. Something was up.

“Are you going to let me through?”

“Mmm… not yet.”

Nazohashi was waiting for the others to finish. Kurumu suddenly felt even more uneasy about this situation. The smirk on Morioka’s face only worsened her fears.

“What are you two planning?”

Nazohashi gnawed on her lower lip.

“Did you know that the Student Police dismantled the Newspaper club last year?”

“What?”

“Senior hasn’t shared the exact details, but something important happened. That’s why Ms. Deshi was assigned to watch over us.”

Kurumu shrugged. This information felt irrelevant.

“Their leader, Mr. Kuyo, made such a fuss about this. I tried explaining that we had approval from the student council, but he would not hear it. Thankfully Mr. Nagamushi and some other teachers were here to calm him down.”

Morioka chuckled, though there was a nervousness in his eye.

“Of course that guy would get upset. Flaunting the ability to keep people off the school grounds would bother our self-proclaimed head of security. Jealousy is an ugly thing.”

“It’s not like I broke any rules doing this.”

“Well, he’s not concerned with rules. That’s a matter of bruised ego.”

The last of the students departed from the little girl. With a bright smile, the phantom skipped over to join them.

“I’m all done.”

Nazohashi smiled, patting the girl on the head. Morioka stalked over to join them. With one hand in his pocket, he stooped over to snatch up the satchel Yukari had left behind.

“I think we did pretty well today, all things considered.”

“Yea… I guess this is where the real game begins.”

Kurumu tensed up. She held a hand back at Tsukune, prepared to defend him.

“Did you want me to stick around?”

“If it isn’t any trouble.”

Damn this guy! Was he really planning to have Nazohashi attack them? The coward. But there was this overwhelming force preventing her aggression. While she had every instinct to protect herself, she felt it impossible to launch an attack.

“What have you done?”

“I think I made that clear. Nobody can enter the school grounds without my permission.”

The look on Morioka’s face confirmed it. This was another one of his schemes to get rid of Tsukune.

“Are you that infatuated with him that you will do anything he asks?!”

Nazohashi blushed fiercely, shaking her head vigorously.

“No! It’s… you don’t understand!”

Tsukune scratched the top of his head.

“Well, I don’t understand. Are you intending to keep us out of school?”

Morioka smirked, placing a hand on Nazohashi’s shoulder.

“That’s exactly what she wants. You may as well turn in your resignation to this school.”

Kurumu grabbed Tsukune’s hand. She could tell she could leave. She started off with a stumbling Tsukune in tow.

“Come on, Tsukune. We can skip a few days of school.”

“That won’t work.”

She whirled about angrily.

“You already said maintaining this barrier is exhausting. I’m sure we can last longer than you.”

Nazohashi glanced away, her hands fidgeting with her portfolio.

“Maintaining her is exhausting. I only wanted to take the barrier down. I don’t have to.”

“Wouldn’t it be suspicious if you had to do this every day?”

“I don’t. I have already granted access to most of the student body. They can pass through the barrier without further interaction with me.”

Morioka smirked.

“And that’s that. It may take a couple weeks, but the school will be forced to expel the both of you if you can’t take your exams.”

Kurumu scowled.

“And what of your precious club? You honestly think Moka or that brat will stay involved with you after doing this? It’s not like we can’t tell them what you did.”

“I only needed to still have four members in the club at the end of this week to avoid being disbanded. It’s not like either of you could resign in that short of a time frame, so the club is safe.”

“I will reason with Moka. It will be difficult with a smaller group, but this is the best resolution for everyone.”

Kurumu glared at Nazohashi.

“What if I bring this to the attention of the faculty? I’m sure they won’t be thrilled about a student using her powers to force another into expulsion.”

“I don’t think bringing more attention to Tsukune is in his best interests.”

Her soft remark cut deep. There was this look in her eyes. While Morioka was quite pleased with the situation, Nazohashi’s motives were much different.

Kurumu collapsed to her knees.

“That’s not fair.”

But it made sense. Morioka had been snooping into Tsukune’s true form this weekend. If he had come to the same conclusion, then it would have been effortless to convince Nazohashi to agree with this course of action.

“Kurumu?”

She felt the tightness in her chest. Of course Morioka would figure it out before her. He had resided in human schools prior to Yokai. There was no reasons for him to not conclude Tsukune as a human, since it justified getting rid of him.

“But why?”

“But you know why. Surely you do. It’s too dangerous.”

Morioka laughed. It was infuriating.

“Ease up on the guilt, Tora. I’m guessing she might not have allowed herself to believe it, even after it was obvious he wasn’t a witch.”

“I don’t know what you guys are talking about.”

“Please don’t, Mr. Aono. You forget I’ve spent most my life with humans.”

“I… okay.”

She wanted to kill him. This was not fair. She needed more time to sort this out. While it might be best for Tsukune to leave Yokai, Kurumu did not know if she could handle that. How could they be so insensitive about this? It hurt so much.

“Kurumu. I think I should go back to the dorm.”

She looked up sharply, but his eyes studied the ground at his feet. He had this resigned posture.

“Then I’m coming too.”

“No. You will let her pass, right? It’s only me you want to keep out.”

“Yea… She does have to answer a question I ask. That is the rule.”

Morioka chuckled.

“I’m curious, but what if she answers your question wrong?”

Nazohashi frowned.

“I don’t know why I would want dominion over her soul.”

Kurumu shuddered at that thought. She was thankful this was not his direct doing, as she doubted she would enjoy anything he might want her to do.

“Dominion over her soul?”

“Yes. In the event you wanted to pass, I would give you a riddle. When you fail to provide the correct answer, I would command you to resign and leave the school.”

“Oh. So that’s how it is.”

Kurumu licked her lips. This was an opportunity to test the limits.

“Um… can someone else tell you the answer?”

“Huh?”

“Your question. Can someone else provide the answer?”

“He would have to answer.”

“Is there a time limit?”

“No. But once the question is asked, you will be bound to this spot until you provide an answer.”

Kurumu thought back at their first encounter.

“What if there are multiple answers?”

“Part of answering a riddle is understanding the source. You would have to answer with what I would think is the answer.”

“Then you could easily make one plus one equal three.”

Nazohashi smiled, shaking her head.

“No. I can’t deceive my soul. But it is my discretion over how I enforce wrong answers. While I can seize control, I can also allow more guesses.”

Kurumu picked herself up.

“Tsukune. You don’t have to go anywhere. I will answer her question.”

That’s right. This was Nazohashi. The girl was too naïve to give her an impossible riddle. It would be something they could answer. And once she was through, she would deal with Nazohashi.

Turning about, Kurumu walked firmly back to the spot of permanent resistance. It was this barrier that prevented her from causing harm to Nazohashi.

Nazohashi tapped her temple. A slight smile touched the corner of her lips.

“If one is one and two is two and three is three and four is five and five is four and six is four and ten is two and a hundred is five… what is a thousand?”

Kurumu was terrible at math. That made even less sense than the chromosome question Ms. Kagome had asked yesterday. Wait. She missed that study session Ms. Kagome had instructed her to attend yesterday. She grimaced, not looking forward to math hour today.

“What do you think, Tsukune?”

Tsukune stroked his chin in thought.

“I might remember this one. I think it’s a pattern? Kanji?”

“Kanji?”

“It should be three. I think it is the strokes it takes to write the number.”

Nazohashi smiled at Tsukune.

“Quicker than I expected.”

Tsukune smiled.

“I know a few riddles.”

Kurumu felt good about giving the answer since the girl had all but confirmed it to be correct.

“So, three?”

Kurumu staggered forward a step. Realizing this was her chance, she lunged forward. Her hands stopped less than a half meter from her target, striking something solid. Wincing, she drew back.

“Now what would be the point of creating a protective barrier if I could be attacked within it?”

Kurumu scowled.

“But I answered your question! You allowed me entry!”

“And what exactly did you intend to do, Ms. Kurono? Tear me to pieces in front of Mr. Aono? I’m sure he would appreciate that.”

“Kurumu, it’s okay.”

“But, Tsukune!”

He had not moved from his spot. He forced a smile as he regarded them.

“She’s right. I don’t want you hurting anyone for my sake.”

Morioka favored Tsukune with a feral grin.

“How about it, Aono? You feel like trying to answer her riddle.”

Tsukune laughed sheepishly.

“Not really. My shoulder does still hurt, so I wouldn’t mind taking the day off, if that’s all the same.”

“Oh really? That’s disappointing.”

“I’m fine with that.”

Nazohashi smiled softly, her hand patting the head of the apparition as if it were something solid. With a deep breath, Nazohashi closed her eyes. When she opened them, the phantom had vanished.

“I was worried you might try.”

Kurumu scowled, crossing her arms about her chest.

“You sound relieved.”

“I am. It would draw a lot of attention if he spent too much time at the gate with my little one.”

Kurumu wanted to argue on that point, but lacked the heart. She was more frustrated with this being forced on them.

“You can tell the class that you guys felt I needed more time away from school. It’s not like I’d be the first student to miss a day of school due to injuries.”

Morioka snorted.

“It’s quite amazing you haven’t missed a day yet. Those girls really put you through the ringer last week and I know the little witch wasn’t pulling punches either.”

Both guys chuckled for a moment.

“Tsukune. Don’t do anything stupid.”

That felt so uncharacteristic of Morioka.

“Is it possible that you could tell me the riddle? I mean… you said there was no time limit.”

Nazohashi shook her head.

“I’m sorry. If I did that, it would bind you to this location.”

Kurumu wanted to make the offer to stay with him, but she knew he would discourage it. There was also Moka to think about. She doubted Nazohashi would be honest about the reasons for Tsukune going home.

“Tsukune. I… I’ll let Moka know.”

“Thanks Kurumu.”

“You… take it easy, okay.”

“I will.”

And with that, he left.

* * *

The bell sounded out the start of the lunch hour. Kurumu sighed as she watched Mr. Nagamushi gather up his things, say something in gibberish and head for the door. She hoped Ms. Nekonome had a more practical approach to teaching English, because this immersion crap was useless.

Her heart had felt so heavy all day. Her mind could not stay on task and it was frustrating to put up with school when there was something more important that needed her attention. She wanted to convince Nazohashi to drop the barrier, but she knew that would only cause a commotion.

In the first break of classes, Kurumu had taken Moka into the hallway to discuss the situation. As expected, Moka had wanted to leave immediately. With words tasting so bitter, Kurumu had convinced Moka the futility of that. Tsukune would only send her back to school. It would only make the situation worse if they drew more attention to it. It was best to continue acting like this was something unimportant.

Other than a mild reproach from Ms. Kagome, the rest of the morning had been thoroughly uneventful. Moka had spent most of the time, staring out the window. It was impossible not to worry. This was not a simple matter of fighting an enemy. She wanted to have more time with Tsukune. They both did.

Nobody really asked about Tsukune’s absence. Nazohashi had already explained her version of the situation to Ms. Nekonome, and Kurumu reluctantly confirmed it. It was a closed issue. There was more gossip about the Newspaper club causing trouble with the student police. Clearly Hiboshi enjoyed the opportunity to talk down about Morioka.

A touch on her shoulder reminded her of the present. She realized most of the students had already departed. She smiled up at Moka, making sure to grab her card before slipping out of her desk.

“You think we can talk with Tora?”

Kurumu shrugged. Nazohashi was already gone, which was not a surprise. She had no idea if Nazohashi ate with anyone during lunch, but highly suspected she would be in Morioka’s shadow. There was no way that girl would cave in to their pleas while that man was supporting her.

“I don’t know, Moka. I don’t know what we should do.”

Kurumu tensed as Moka suddenly hugged her close. It felt so weird being comforted by Moka, especially as some of their classmates were still lingering in the room. Kurumu sighed, resting her head on Moka’s shoulder. So much for not causing weird scenes.

Once the classroom was empty, Moka released her with a slight step back.

“It might be my fault.”

“What?”

“Well… her fault. I… tried asking her about it.”

These declarations were confusing. Moka had made no attempts to speak with Nazohashi.

“I didn’t know what I should do either. So I tried asking for her advice.”

Kurumu had little idea how Moka’s true form worked. This was not the first time Moka had mentioned communicating with her other self. She had no idea how it worked, and she suspected Moka didn’t either.

“Did she even respond?”

“She did, actually. I was surprised.”

Kurumu sighed.

“Let me guess. She doesn’t think this is a bad thing for him.”

Moka nodded with unmistakable guilt.

“I’m sorry.”

Kurumu placed a hand firmly on Moka’s shoulder.

“You know, that doesn’t mean anything. I’m even having those thoughts and I know I’m not to blame for this.”

“I guess.”

Moka was not convinced, but there was little else Kurumu could offer. Shrugging, she started for the door. Even if the issue facing them was serious, they still should eat their lunch. Time marches on.

Kurumu started down the hall with Moka only a few steps behind. It did not take the vampire much effort to catch up, being taller. She forced a smile.

“I know she doesn’t have the same attachment to Tsukune as you do, but I don’t think she would help Morioka. When did she even have a chance to?”

“Yea… you’re right.”

It was not entirely true. If Morioka was her locker room stalker, he could have noticed their hurried flight into the woods. With his speed, it would have been effortless for him to witness their attempt to rescue Yukari. She would be sorely disappointed in Moka’s other half if she had told Morioka about Tsukune’s humanity.

They descended the stair next to the bathrooms without any altercations. Their delay in getting out of the classroom had allowed the line to the cafeteria to form all the way back to the home economics room. Kurumu grabbed Moka’s hand to avoid separation.

At first the walking was a little awkward. But Moka reversed the grip when she took the lead. Things went much easier like this, and it made Kurumu feel a lot better. She wondered if Tsukune had felt awkward when he had held both of their hands on the walk to school. Then again, he was taller than them, so it might have been okay.

It did not take much longer for them to settle into the flow of the crowd that was headed for the cafeteria. In a couple more minutes, they were inside the noisome place. With it unlikely they would lose each other, Kurumu relaxed her grip though it was clear Moka had no intentions of letting her go. She smiled softly.

Once through the doors of the cafeteria, the crowd divided up into two different lines. It did not feel like it sped the process up at all, since the cafeteria served far more students than Kurai. Kurumu guessed the older students were closer simply because it always took so long to get lunch, even if they bolted from their classroom.

“Kurumu!”

The large Burumoto had shown up next to them, clearly out of line. Some of the students behind her eyed him suspiciously, but the young minotaur paid them no heed. He cocked his head to the right, the trio of garnet studs in his left ear quite apparent.

“Happy Birthday!”

She frowned, shrugging at Moka's glance. Moka had released her hand, allowing Kurumu to rest her arm at her side.

“It's not my birthday. That's in August.”

Burumoto laughed heartily. His crimson eyes sparkled as he clapped his hand to his broad chest.

“It's my birthday.”

Kurumu smiled. She did not recall him telling her his birthday, but it was nice to be distracted by something.

“I'm sorry, Burumoto. I didn't remember.”

“At least call me by my name, Kurumu.”

She vaguely recalled him mentioning it when they had last spoken after Saizou's vicious attack. But since trading seats with Shirayuki, Burumoto had not done a single memorable thing. He had not made any attempts to converse with her, and she had been more preoccupied with Tsukune matters.

“You know we can't let you cut in line even for your birthday.”

He chuckled, gesturing further behind those glares.

“What line? I’ve already got my lunch.”

“Oh?”

“Tamaishi is watching over it at our table. I just wanted to make a birthday request, since I am sixteen now.”

“I'm really sorry for forgetting.”

He shrugged.

“I'm not even sure if I told you.”

“Well that's not fair.”

“Any chance I can get to see you in a cheerleader outfit?”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head. He was still hung up on that fascination.

“You do realize I have a boyfriend.”

Moka swatted her with a backhand.

“He’s more than welcome to watch.”

It was her turn to swat someone, though Burumoto only chuckled.

“Don't you guys have cheerleaders?”

Burumoto shrugged.

“They show up now and then, but we share them with everyone. I saw Tomisaki out there. Didn't know a guy would be up for that sort of thing, but after seeing him last Saturday, I think I get it.”

Kurumu shrugged, unsure what he was talking about.

“There’s like a four to one ratio of guys to girls and he gets to put his hands on them all the time. Clever bastard.”

Kurumu smirked at his tone, recalling Tomisaki as the kid that had first bowed out of joining the newspaper club. That guy was always talking with the girls around him in between classes.

“Are you jealous?”

“Eh, a little. Still I'm sure if I asked, he would gladly lend me something for you to model for me.”

He was saying things like this, but she did not feel any strong desire. It was no different from any other bystanders, casually noticing a pretty girl.

“Burumoto. Are you any good with riddles?”

The boy frowned at Moka's sudden question.

“Not in particular. Momma always said I should have tried harder to develop that skill like my little brother. Annoying whelp. Running his mouth is all he can do.”

Kurumu grinned.

“So other than trying to get me into a skimpy outfit, what are your plans for the day? Running a trip out to Mononoke?”

Burumoto shrugged.

“Nothing really. Coach doesn't like us wandering the town on weekdays. I'll probably spend the night with my two friends on my floor. Invite that blockhead Tamaishi over. Did you know all of our soccer team ended up on the second floor?”

“Why would we know that?”

“Suppose you wouldn't.”

“How many of you are there?”

“Freshmen in soccer? There's only six of us. I'm thinking Coach had a hand in that. He's always about team building.”

Kurumu glanced ahead of them, noticing they were about to get to the ordering part. She mildly waved him off, pointing up at the stations.

“Well, we still have to get our lunch. You might need to get back to yours before your friends think you’re not interested.”

Burumoto snorted.

“They should know better than that.”

“We can talk about the uniform thing after club today. Okay?”

He grinned, wagging a fat finger at her.

“I'll hold you to that.”

She waved as he departed, pleased with the lighthearted encounter. He probably had missed the part where Ms. Kagome had scolded her over skipping yesterday’s after school study session.

“You’re not really going to model for him.”

“You should.”

“Me?”

“It is his birthday.”

Moka answered that with a huffed backhand. It was not but a couple minutes before they were walking across the serving line, directing staff to bag up a couple rolls, a large bowl of rice and a large portion of seasoned noodles with peppers and beef. She had not thought about it before, but Moka did order more food than her. She wondered if that had always been the case or simply the result of unfinished breakfasts.

What would she do if Tsukune left Yokai? Could she continue going to school like this? As she set her tray down at a table across from Moka, she realized she could as long as she could keep in contact with him. Most of what was making this day bearable was knowing she would see him at the end of it.

If he did have to leave, she had to know where he was going. There was no way she could let him go without any hope of ever finding him again. He had mentioned writing to his family, so they could always send letters. She also thought she had seen a cell phone in his room. While she did not own one, she could get his number.

The part of keeping celibate for their parents would be much easier if he did leave Yokai. But how would her body fare in his absence? She doubted calls and letters would sate the ache. She disliked the thought of having to find an alternative source of desire.

But I could kill him.

All these thoughts of making things work apart really meant nothing if she could not safely be with him. Her chest tightened at the thought. She wished they had more time. There was so much she needed to know.

She wept.

* * *

“Oh, look at the time. If you would, Ms. Nazohashi.”

Kurumu sighed as the class representative stood up. The day was almost over and she was no closer to an answer. On a whim, she had asked Ms. Nekonome if there would be material about the succubus in their human integration course. Apparently her kind was too rare a species to be discussed.

“Ms. Nazohashi?”

The class representative twitched, coming out of a reverie. Glancing about, the girl stumbled as she got to her feet.

“Stand.”

Her voice was a bit breathy as the class followed suit.

“Bow. Dismissed.”

During lab Izanai had mentioned about a half dozen or so students that had been prevented entry. As school had been in session, nobody had noticed the small gathering of delinquents at the front gate until the lunch hour. The notified teacher had scolded Nazohashi about the matter.

Instead of lowering the barrier, Nazohashi had left her phantom at the gate as Yukari had implied this morning. It had quickly become obvious why Nazohashi had not done this before. The girl had collapsed in gym and was barely awake now.

Once Nazohashi had completed her perfunctory task, her classmates started to disperse. Nazohashi sat back heavily in her desk, rubbing at her eyes. As she slowly gathered up her things, Ms. Nekonome stopped at her desk.

“See you tomorrow.”

Kurumu smiled and offered a wave to Shirayuki. One of the victims of Nazohashi’s negligence, Kurumu felt bad she had not noticed Shirayuki’s absence this morning.

“Tomorrow.”

Shirayuki made an awkward salute, turning away to head out the door. They had talked a little in home economics about nothing in particular. The girl had not even mentioned her trouble getting in school this morning until Kurumu had brought it up. Realizing she could not get in, Shirayuki had left without bothering to return till after the lunch hour.

Kurumu glanced back at Nazohashi. She only registered Ms. Nekonome’s wave to the girl before Nazohashi vanished. The absence was instantaneous and did not appear to trouble the teacher at all. Kurumu bolted up from her seat, but a heavy hand clapped down on her shoulder so hard that she almost fell back in her chair.

“Hey. Don’t worry about it.”

She threw a confused look at Burumoto. He grinned, gesturing to himself with his thumb.

“The cheerleader thing. I know you aren’t in the mood.”

“Oh.”

It felt so damn silly. She had good reasons not to, but she felt bad doing nothing for this guy on his birthday. Why did it have to be today? What had happened to Nazohashi? Ms. Nekonome had already slipped out into the hall.

The pat on her head was remarkably gentle.

“Don’t cry again. Hurts a man to see a girl crying and knowing he can do nothing about it.”

They must have noticed her breakdown during lunch. Still his gesture had broken her free of this indecision.

“Sorry.”

She turned and hurried out into the hall. Surely Ms. Nekonome could help her out. The warning against getting the faculty involved felt invalid when it came to Ms. Nekonome. The teacher claimed to be a friend of her mother. She was their advisor. She was their homeroom. Kurumu saw her target only a few paces down the hall so it did not take her long to catch up.

“Ms. Nekonome! Wait!”

The woman stopped, turning slowly on her heel. There was an unusual smile on her face. It caused Kurumu to falter a step.

“Ms. Kurono. I wondered how long it would take.”

“Ms. Nekonome?”

“It’s dangerous to talk about some things, Ms. Kurono. You’ll have to see me after your remedial lessons on Saturday.”

As the teacher turned away, Kurumu tightened her fist against her chest. She had no idea what Ms. Nekonome thought she would ask, but it felt cruel to put something important off for that long.

“But Nazohashi…”

“What about Ms. Nazohashi? If you are concerned about her disappearing like that, I assure you that was normal.”

“What?”

“She blinked.”

“Blinked?”

“I suppose we could say teleported, but I like the sound of blink. It feels more succinct.”

Kurumu sighed. How could she be so trivial about this situation?

“Ms. Nekonome. Nazohashi has no intentions of allowing Tsukune to return to school.”

“And that’s the sort of conversation you should avoid making.”

Ms. Nekonome gestured about. Kurumu had barely noticed, but several students were walking about them. None were paying them much attention, but things overheard could become rumors. She cursed herself.

“I had my suspicions but I trust Mr. Morioka’s judgement.”

“Why would anyone trust his…”

Kurumu stopped. Why would she mention Morioka? How much did Ms. Nekonome know? She recalled Nazohashi doubting the teacher’s claim of not knowing Saizou’s true form.

“But why…”

“Ms. Kurono. You should return to your class. We will talk about this at another time.”

While she had this nagging feeling that Ms. Nekonome might have clued Morioka in about Tsukune, she hoped it was paranoia. It made no sense for the teacher to thrust Tsukune into their club if this had been her overall plan.

“Okay.”

The teacher held up a hand and gave a slight wave.

“Try not giving Ms. Kagome any more troubles.”

Kurumu lingered in the hall, wanting to pursue but knowing she could not beat the answers out of a staff member. She supposed she could manage one more day like this. With a sigh, she started back to her class.

It had been a couple days since she had officially done anything with the club. She could not imagine Morioka expecting them to take club matters seriously after the latest development, but she knew he would try. He might not care if she left, but Kurumu doubted he had given up on Moka.

Stepping back into the classroom, she sighed at the spectacle. Moka was whimpering with closed fists as a little witch was blatantly groping her from behind. While grabbing the tiny assailant would be impossible, the vampire should have had no problem pulling those hands away.

The only other student present was the sleeping Genzouyaki. As the blackboard still was marked up from today's lesson, it was clear that somebody was neglecting their duties. She checked the board for names before realizing she had nobody to complain to if she ended up doing this.

At least Genzouyaki was half of the pair listed. Ignoring the molestation going on, Kurumu nudged the sleeping girl on the shoulder. The girl jerked, glancing about wildly for a second before noticing her. Genzouyaki frowned, sitting up and drawing her bangs back out of her face.

“Is class over?”

“I'll help with clean up.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Moka whimpered, having made her way to a wall. The vampire had her fists clenched as she pressed against the wall. The little girl cackled with glee, her groping unaffected by Moka's efforts to escape. Moka's face was flush as she occasionally moved a hand as if to grab Yukari's but promptly move it back to a fist against the wall.

“They're so soft and squishy. I hope to have something like these one day.”

“Should we stop that?”

“Yukari! Please stop. It's starting to feel really weird.”

Kurumu shook her head emphatically before starting for the small supply closet. The last thing she wanted was for Yukari to turn that attention towards her. It was better if Moka handled the situation.

“I heard some girls can climax from breast stimulation alone.”

Kurumu shuddered at the thought. Why would that little kid know something like that? Was it even true? She knew her breasts were sensitive, but she had never played with them to that extent. Other spots were far better to achieve bliss quicker. Why am I even thinking about this now? Kurumu scowled, grabbing the shaft of the broom and gesturing to the board.

“Just ignore them. I'll sweep the floor.”

Genzouyaki lingered for a moment before nodding. She stalked over to the podium, grabbing up the eraser and setting to the task.

As they had cleaned this up on Monday and it had been cleaned every day since, it really did not take that long to get the place swept up. Moka did plead for her help so she made a point to swat the witch with the broom when she passed. Yukari promptly responded with a stuck out tongue, waiting for Kurumu to retreat out of reach before resuming her debauchery.

While she walked back to the corner to get the dust pan, Morioka strolled in with his usual relaxed attitude.

“Well isn't that an interesting sight.”

Kurumu smirked, wondering what perverse thoughts were running through that deviant's head at the sight of Moka's molestation. He must have missed the brief encounter this morning.

“She's been like that since we met her. She's fixated on Moka.”

Morioka grinned fiercely.

“I don't have any objections sharing her with another woman.”

Kurumu gagged, smacking him with the pan. Sensing his guard must be down, she tried to grab him, but he hopped out of reach with a chuckle.

“Now, now. I can tell the difference.”

She scowled, somewhat aware of his meaning. Many monsters had this inherent sense of danger. She wished she had hit him harder.

“Hey, Yukari. This guy says he's fine sharing Moka with you.”

Remembering she had a pile to sweep up, Kurumu wandered back to the spot where she had left the broom. Yukari had extracted herself from Moka, allowing the vampire a moment of recovery. The little girl regarded the grinning Morioka while cupping her chin.

“Nope.”

“Nope? What do you mean nope?”

“As in there will be no sharing. Moka is mine alone.”

“Oh? You're pretty confident for a kid.”

Kurumu grinned as she knelt down, sweeping up the pile into the pan. She doubted Yukari had any rational reason to dislike Morioka. She looked about that age when every girl was wary about boys. Kurumu emptied the pan in the nearby wastebasket.

The pop of erasers drew her attention to the windows. Genzouyaki had opened one and was creating puffs of white with every smack. Kurumu wondered if that was okay to do for a class on the second floor. Her junior high had been single story. Absently she started back for the supply closet, intent on putting her things away.

“… whip it out.”

Whoa, what? Yukari smirked at the grinning Morioka.

“Shouldn't that be my line?”

“You'd cry if I did.”

“I've seen plenty on the internet.”

Kurumu brandished the pan at Morioka.

“What are you thinking? She's a kid.”

“With a mouth like that?”

“I'm not a kid. If anyone is a kid around here, it's you. Who ever heard of a succubus crying about almost having sex with her boyfriend?”

Kurumu stiffened, but resisted the urge to lash out at the brat. It was not like being angry with Yukari would change anything.

“Yukari.”

“I mean really. She was even going at it during lunch. I couldn't be with Moka with that nonsense. Such a crybaby.”

It was impossible for Yukari to understand this, and there was no reason to get her involved. There were enough people that knew about Tsukune. With forced poise, Kurumu finished her way to the supply closet. Genzouyaki had already returned the erasers and held her hand out for the broom. The girl had such a look of concern that Kurumu had to fake a smile.

“I have half a mind to grab you by the ankles and hang you out the window.”

Kurumu rasped out a laugh at his remark.

“Maybe if I shake you enough, you'll have a cleaner mouth.”

“Are you that desperate to see a girl's panties?”

“Consider it a rite of passage for joining my club.”

Kurumu shook her head, always surprised with this guy. He realized he was mostly to blame for her disposition. Right?

“If you really wanted to cheer me up, you would have Nazohashi end this.”

“Speaking of joining my club…”

Morioka dashed up beside her. She fell back a step, but he immediately crowded around the startled Genzouyaki. With one hand on the wall, he gingerly touched the girl's chin with the side of his finger.

“How about it, lovely lady? Did you enjoy the flowers?”

“I… uh… Kurono?”

“He's like this with everyone.”

“You have to show passion to inspire young hearts to burn with the desire for truth and justice.”

“Yea, well, show it at a more comfortable distance.”

“Would you be interested in joining our Newspaper Club?”

“But, I… I'm already in the astronomy club. I'll have to pass.”

“And why would a star like you hang out in such a boring club?”

Kurumu covered her face, shaking her head slowly. That was so sad.

“I… I have to go! See you tomorrow, Kurono.”

Kurumu smiled apologetically, as Genzouyaki deftly slipped out of his clutches and hurried to her desk. The tiny girl snatched up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. With a quick wave, she darted out into the hallway.

“I like astronomy. I wouldn't mind taking that girl out to see the stars.”

“If you lay a hand on her, I will kill you.”

“First Moka, then Tora and now this one? I swear if I didn't know better I would say you were jealous.”

“I wonder which you'll die of first: being stupid or being a scumbag.”

Morioka chuckled.

“So other than hitting on girls, does this club do anything?”

Morioka regarded the witch.

“You're mistaken. That was recruitment.”

“Looked sleazy to me.”

“Now listen, kid.”

“You will not address me as such.”

“Fine. Yukari wasn't it?”

“I have not given permission to address me informally. You may be my senior, but you have no right to be so rude.”

Kurumu chuckled. It was undeniably adorable to see this girl smart off about proper manners.

“I can't very well establish a paper rooted in the task of breaking down the barriers that keep us from the truth if we are going to start with that garbage. I'm going to call you Yukari, like it or not.”

“The respectful thing would be to call me Ms. Sendou.”

Kurumu smiled. It was difficult to think of Yukari as Ms. Sendou. She might manage Sendou, but honorifics had never been a strong habit.

“If you don't like it, I can come up with plenty of things to call you.”

“When does this club start? Are we waiting for Mr. Aono and Ms. Nazohashi?”

“Aono is still hurt from your antics the other day. We convinced him to take the day off.”

Yukari laughed, waving her hand dismissively.

“It couldn't have been that bad. There's no such thing as a monster that couldn't recover from a little scratch like that.”

There was a notable pause. Had Morioka forgotten something so obvious?

“True, but you have to admit recovery rates vary between the different races. While Moka or I could shrug off such an injury in a couple hours, Aono isn't quite that fortunate. I give him credit for trying, but he's had a rough set of days. It adds up.”

“That's strange. If he knew he couldn't take a beating, why did he let me pummel him so much?”

“Oh, please. What choice did he have? He's not going to score any points picking on a little kid.”

Yukari huffed. She sighed, holding her arms out.

“I suppose. Boys are so stupid.”

“As for Tora, I imagine she is taking down her barrier. We probably won't see her today so we will have to make due with who we have here.”

Kurumu knew this was a lie but felt unable to call him out on it. She really did not want Yukari knowing about Tsukune's humanity. It was better for now if Yukari believed Morioka.

“Anyways, what have you guys found out about what people prefer to see in a newspaper?”

Kurumu scowled.

“I don't know, Senior. Wasn't that the point of this morning's exercise?”

“That can't be our only source of information. Speaking of which, would either of you want to compile the data we gathered? I'm not sure where I should start.”

“That should be easy. You had options to check. Make a spreadsheet and increment the value for each instance.”

Morioka flattened the hat on Yukari's head as a poor gesture of approval.

“Good. Then I'll have you do it.”

“Hey!”

“What about your art class? Is Ms. Ishigami interested in doing a personal interview with us? I know a lot of girls admire her.”

Morioka ignored the runt as she tried to kick at him. He had her held firmly by the head at such a length that she could only grapple his offending arm.

“I didn't think to ask. I'm sorry.”

“What about you? While Ms. Ishigami has become the new favorite, it was a spot formerly held by Ms. Hitori. I bet a lot of guys would be interested in what she's got cooking.”

Was he only interested in doing articles about pretty teachers? She sighed.

“I thought we were only going to ask students. I did have a girl from the track team mention some interest.”

Morioka nodded, stroking his chin once again.

“I believe we only have a girl's track team. That may be acceptable.”

The quick approval caught her off guard.

“But you dismissed Tsukune's idea of using the Judo club.”

“Yea, but those are guys. It's a simple fact that girls are almost as interested in reading about girls as guys are. Whereas guys have almost no interest at all reading about guys, and I doubt either of you are thrilled with the concept of meeting a bunch of sweaty, oversized guys.”

“That's not the point!”

“We have to get the timing right when it comes to writing pieces about a bunch of guys. Like right before a major competition or after a string of notable success. Nobody cares to read about a team in the off season.”

Kurumu wanted to argue about him being blatantly sexist, but his reasoning to avoid the Judo club seemed sincere. Track was also more individual in its nature, so there probably was no ideal time to do an article on them as a team. She sighed, wondering why she was even allowing herself to be distracted by this nonsense.

“On a different note, do we have any information about the missing girls?”

“Missing girls?”

At some point Yukari had given up and was standing with her arms about her tiny frame. Her hat had been forced down over her eyes and nose, so most of her expression was lost in this matter.

“This guy thinks we are a detective agency. We spent the one whole day hanging up posters about the school only for the student police to take them down over the weekend. There's been four girls that have gone missing.”

Yukari tapped her foot.

“I recall those posters. There were only three girls.”

Kurumu nodded.

“Yea. I only remember Kinzoku because she's a friend of Sakamori from my home economics class. I heard that Kinzoku had some boyfriend issues, but I don't see how that has anything to do with the other three that went missing.”

“I remember Kinzoku Umeki from my class. Tall, silver hair with pale blue eyes. She kept to herself.”

Morioka grinned.

“Any particular reason why you had your eye on this girl?”

“Any particular reason you care about this girl?”

Morioka frowned.

“As a man dedicated to find the truth and end the social injustices in this school, I have more than enough reason. With any hope we will find this girl unharmed along with the others and can make sure that whomever caused her disappearance is dealt with.”

“I'm amazed you can say that with a straight face.”

Kurumu was shocked by Yukari's swift response.

“I can give you the names of every student in my class, their ranking and a brief description if you want. The three girls in your posters were Kinzoku Umeki, Yochimaru Riku from Class 1-8 and Zukkutani Kana from Class 1-7. The pictures of Zukkutani and Yochimaru both had the same background and posture, suggesting they were taken from the same yearbook.”

Morioka released the girl, backing away a step. Yukari took the opportunity to adjust her hat appropriately on her head.

“The collars of their uniforms and the accompanying tie were quite distinct. It was the traditional attire of Fukui. I would theorize the girls came here together to avoid being enrolled in their smaller, local high school.”

Morioka forced a grin.

“But Ms. Kinzoku was from this region. Her uniform belongs to the junior high near Gosen. None of the girls shared classrooms and most students had not joined clubs at the time I saw the posters. Is there a reason to believe the cases are related?”

Kurumu sighed.

“I asked that too. He thinks it would be a better story if they were.”

“He seems to like making things up. You are aware that building a model takes much more time and effort than destroying one. It would be like comparing hours to seconds.”

“What?”

“So who is this fourth girl?”

Morioka scratched the back of his head without a hint of amusement.

“Kisurusu Miho.”

“From Class 1-5, ranked 207. The same score as her.”

“You’re starting to annoy me.”

Yukari smirked.

“Um… Senior. It might be six girls now.”

Kurumu had almost forgotten about Moka. Then again, Kurumu kind of understood her silence. It was difficult to talk about other things when this issue with Nazohashi remained unresolved.

“What makes you say that?”

“Well… I don’t know if Kurumu noticed but the twins weren’t around for gym class. When I asked Ms. Asakira about it, she said the two had not been in class the past two days.”

Kurumu recalled the athletic Asakira. Their gym teacher had tried so hard to get the girl to join a sport club, but the fiery haired Asakira brushed off the idea of playing for a team.

“Twins, you say? Anything else you can tell me about these two?”

“Unabara. I believe it was Tarako and Harada.”

Yukari snorted.

“Haraka.”

Kurumu scowled, not caring to be corrected.

“Anyways, they're both from the swimming club.”

Morioka grunted in disgust.

“I'd rather not get involved snooping around that club. Mermaids are not exactly my idea of fun.”

Kurumu grinned, thinking he may have been one of those over eager males duped into surrendering sexual energy. It was not like she had studied every guy at the pool in detail.

“Worried you lack the stamina?”

“To be blunt, those girls may have been eaten.”

Kurumu gagged, thinking that beyond stupid.

“Eaten?! Why would you even say such a thing?”

“Because they're mermaids. Everybody knows that mermaids, like most fish, are cannibals. If the pond was too small or the food too short, I guarantee those kids are fish food.”

Kurumu clutched her chest, stricken by the thought. Sure, Tarako had been a bit of a nuisance, but this was terrible.

“You're lying!”

Yukari dramatically thrust a finger at her.

“You are remarkably naïve. Cannibalism among mermaids is common knowledge.”

“Yukari.”

“No, Moka. He may not be right, but he’s not lying.”

The vampire had a weak smile. She reached over to touch Kurumu's shoulder.

“We can check in the dorm on them. They may not be feeling well.”

Getting sick was more of a human thing, though she supposed Moka had been around them so long that she would not understand how seldom monsters got ill. If the two were missing from the dorms, they were missing. She refused to acknowledge the possibility of them being eaten by those bitches that had attacked them.

“That's a good idea. Check in the dorm. I can see about wooing a little mermaid into talking, though they are notorious liars. They might confirm the twins missing, but if they were eaten by the club… well… don't expect me to get a confession.”

As much as she could worry about the missing twins, the only thing she wanted right now was to see Tsukune. She wanted to hold him tight and hopefully some good would come of it. She also had to tell him about Ms. Nekonome.

“Ah, there you are, Ms. Kurono.”

The familiar voice caused her to sigh. She had almost forgotten about Ms. Kagome. She forced a smile as she regarded the busty teacher.

“Yea… here I am.”

“Ms. Nekonome said I would find you here. Now come along.”

“Yes, Ms. Kagome.”

As she started for the door, she noted Ms. Kagome was holding something that resembled a riding crop. That was not a normal thing for a teacher to carry.

“Um… Ms. Kagome? Is there a horse riding club?”

The teacher grinned as she lifted the crop, striking it against her other palm.

“The proper word is equestrian, Ms. Kurono. To a properly trained animal, it only takes the sound to adjust inappropriate behavior.”

Feeling the unwanted taste of Morioka’s lust, Kurumu hoped that had nothing to do with the impending lesson.


	19. Control the Soul

Kurumu grimaced from a throbbing ache radiating from her temples. Groaning, she lifted her head up from the pillow, aware that she had slept on her stomach. She glanced about her room, yawning only as much as the pain would allow her. Getting up on her knees, she clutched the side of her head.

She winced, feeling her chest jiggle as she got on her bare knees. She glanced at the black strap on her shoulder, wondering when she had slipped into her tank top. Sitting back on her haunches, she felt the fabric at her hip confirming she had changed into some cotton briefs.

What happened?

As Kurumu got up to her feet, she noted the digital display on her silver clock reported it was only a little after five. But school ended around five. Was it morning? It had to be. She remembered reporting to the faculty office and accompanying Ms. Kagome to the disciplinary room. The woman had served her some tea, claiming it would help her focus on her studies. But Kurumu could not remember anything about the lesson.

Tsukune!

“Tsukune! Tsukune!”

In a panic, Kurumu scrambled about the room. Her schoolbag was on the counter next to her keys and card. She must have returned to the classroom at some point. Why could she not remember that? Her chest tightened as she took quick breaths. Grabbing her keys and card, she drew back the bolt on her door and hurried out of the room.

The pit of her stomach growled furiously, wanting something more substantial than fear. Kurumu pounded on the button for the elevator, but it was taking its sweet time. Had she not eaten? She had no recollection of dinner. Open up, you fucking door!

There was a slight ding as the elevator reached her floor. The steel plated doors slid open and she darted inside. She promptly mashed the button for the door to shut, punching the lobby level. The door eventually decided she was urgent enough to close and allow the elevator to descend.

It had been hours. Why was everything a blank? She first had to check his room to see if he was there. A quick glance through the window and she would be fine. He had to be there. Where else could he possibly be this early in the morning?

But her head hurt and she had no recollection of last night. She whimpered as she started to pace in the elevator. What if he had spoken with her? Was it possible for it to have been so terrible that she had blocked the memory out? No! She could not think like that.

The elevator reached the lobby, the door doing its absolute best to open as slow as possible. Squeezing through the moment she could, Kurumu jogged through the lobby quickly. Her sweaty locks bounced on her shoulders while her breasts proved this shirt could not hold them back. She held up her card as she neared the door, causing the doors to slide open as the fan kicked on.

Kurumu got only a few paces out the door before letting her wings out and taking to the sky. It was a brisk morning and she could feel her body tense up in the chilly air. Her head was feeling much better in the fresh air and it did not take long to cross over to Chikara.

Slowing her flight, she steered about the building for the window. She counted up floors and along the side, locating her target. In moments she touched down upon the small crevice. Ducking her head into the recess, she pressed her face to the glass.

Her heart fell out at the sight of the empty room. But it looked like all his things were there. Where else could he possibly be?

Pushing off, Kurumu angled her body and pumped her wings to take her out over the forest. Perhaps when she had failed to go see him, he had went to the school looking for her. That was possible.

It still bothered her that she had no memory after the start of Ms. Kagome’s lecture. So much time had been lost. This was very bad. What would Tsukune think about her not coming to him last night? Would he feel abandoned? Would he worry she was upset about him being human?

By air, the trip to school passed in a matter of a few minutes. She quickly closed in on the large mansion, noting the front gate with the boards. She spied a small figure marching about in circles with a twig over her shoulder. Unmistakably it was the phantom child of yesterday.

Confused with the presence of the apparition, Kurumu circled the area to slow her descent. She hit the ground at a slight run, batting her wings before drawing them back into her body. Confirming she was alone, she approached the little girl in the green and white sundress.

“Halt! Who goes there?”

The phantom brandished her stick at Kurumu. It was a real stick. Kurumu was unsure how that even worked. Feeling a bit chill, Kurumu fixed up the straps on her shoulder and tucked her left breast safely in the fabric confines.

“What are you doing here?”

“I am protecting the gate. None shall pass without my permission.”

While the phantom looked the same as before, her attitude lacked all the reticence.

“I’ve already been let through the barrier. Speaking of which, have you seen the young man I was with yesterday? He wasn’t in his room.”

The phantom sighed dramatically.

“I haven’t seen anyone since she went to sleep. It’s really boring out here. Would you like to play a game?”

“I… not really.”

“Aw, you’re no fun.”

Kurumu ignored the runt as she turned about. She regarded the woods as she considered possibilities. If the barrier was still up, it meant Tsukune had not failed Nazohashi’s test. Where could he be?

There was no way he could be with Moka. While she may have kept Tsukune’s humanity a secret, Kurumu could not imagine the vampire successfully sneaking a boy into their dorm. There were no side doors or back entrances. The housemother would have stopped any strangers that came through the front door. She was always there.

There was a mild possibility that he had woken up early to shower or use the restroom. A slight breeze tickled her exposed legs and she blushed. That familiar tickle clawed up her spine, causing her knees to squirm.

“I have to pee.”

She turned around and started for the school. To her surprise, she hit a wall of resistance. The phantom child wagged a tiny digit at her.

“Ah, ah. You can’t pass till you play a game with me.”

In moments the sensation of yesterday returned. It had not been like this when she had arrived. Maybe because she had held no desire to go inside? This made no sense.

“But I answered your question the other day!”

The little girl grinned, her fangs longer than before.

“True. But since you left I can decide to prevent your reentry.”

Kurumu scowled. She would not be intimidated by the memory of an eight year old girl.

“Oh, is that so? Won’t it be an issue if everyone has to play your stupid game again?”

The blackness within those jade eyes burned a bright crimson. The girl cocked her head aside as long white whiskers sprouted from her cheeks.

“This is my domain. I decide the rules and can do as I please.”

There was no point arguing. She could not pass.

“Can I at least use the restroom?”

The phantom tilted her nose up in defiance.

“Wee, wee, come out, come out. Wee wee.”

The little song was not very impressive but it did make her more conscious of her distress. Still there was no way she dared play a game with this mischievous brat.

A miniature bolt of lightning flashed down in front of the flickering phantom. Tiny clouds had formed less than a meter over her head and started to drizzle upon the girl whom had produced an umbrella from somewhere. She kept singing her annoying song behind the constant patter of illusory rain.

Clenching her jaw, Kurumu turned away.

“Fine. I’ll kill you later.”

The sprite changed up her song with a familiar one about tending the garden and watering the plants. Grimacing, Kurumu hurried off to the edge of the woods. She darted around the first tree to be out of sight before relieving her burden.

Damn, had she guzzled down a liter of tea before bed? She relaxed back against the trunk, thankful she had made it in time. If that had gone on much longer, she might have lost it.

She jerked at the sight of movement nearby. A figure had emerged from the woods and was heading towards the school gate. She tugged the black cotton shorts with the scattered white hearts back over her rump. Peeking around the tree, she quickly noted the figure was only wearing the school’s dress shirt.

“Tsukune!”

She shot out of the woods as fast as her legs could carry her. He had barely turned to her before she threw her arms about his chest. She hit him so hard that he immediately lost his footing and fell on his back beneath her. She barely registered the impact of the ground as she nuzzled her cheek against his chest.

“Kurumu?”

She could hear the gasp of his breath and the wince in his voice. His shirt smelled fresh of detergent and he felt so warm. The relief that swept through her upon feeling his heart beat, drained tension she had not even been aware of. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes watered. He was safe.

“Kurumu?”

She choked a laugh as she felt his fingers gingerly touch upon her shoulders. Taking a deep breath against him, she relaxed. Confident she would not break down again, she freed her arms from him so she could sit up.

Tsukune sort of tried to sit with her but he quickly slapped a hand across his eyes as he held his other hand up. A primal surge of desire coursed through Kurumu as she straddled over him. She could even feel the slight bump in his trousers against her butt. Her body was quickly responding to his.

“Ahem!”

The pronounced clearing of a small throat chastised her. Impulsively Kurumu felt embarrassed she had such a young witness, so she quickly scooted off of Tsukune’s lap. The lack of warmth between her thighs brought immediate regret and she angrily regarded the brat.

“Why aren’t you dressed?!”

“I… huh?”

Tsukune was still shielding his face as he scrambled to get up. She could feel how hot his desire burned. She laughed after noticing one of her tits had flopped free and promptly tucked it back where it belonged.

“Here.”

Tsukune started to unbutton his shirt, his eyes pointedly averted. Kurumu laughed again, shaking her head.

“You can keep your clothes on.”

“I’d rather not.”

Before he could get to his stomach, Kurumu slipped in and hugged him.

“Stop, Tsukune. You’re not being fair.”

“What?”

She smiled, stepping back with her hands lingering at his waist. She could see the bulge in his pants and feel his lust. No doubt looking down on her, he could see them. While they were somewhat restrained by the loose fabric of the tank top, the slight chill in the air coupled with the recent activity had teased her nipples into a state of attention. They were aching and it took much resolve not to rub up against him.

“Do you honestly believe I don’t find your chest attractive at all?”

“I… well… but guys are topless all the time at pools.”

“Oh, so because it happens all the time, it can’t be sexy?”

“Well… I guess.”

She reached up and grabbed one of his wrists. With firm decisiveness, she tugged the hand over and pushed it up against her right breast. His lust for her spiked, causing her knees to tremble, but she slipped her hand up to the back of his, pressing it firmly to deny his feeble attempt to escape.

“Kurumu!”

“If this happens all the time, it won’t be sexy, right?”

“Okay, I get the point!”

Smiling, she let his hand go. Her body was so hot right now. If there had been anything she could take off, she would have been sorely tempted.

“Tsukune… why are you here?”

He laughed nervously.

“Well… I… uh… You didn’t come to see me last night. I thought you might still be in the school.”

Something felt off.

“It’s nice that you came for me, but we should go now.”

Tsukune sighed. He looked up at the sky, already too light such that only the brightest of stars still shone through the dimness.

“I can’t leave her in there.”

“What?”

“Nazohashi.”

He turned away and strode quickly towards the school gate. The resolve in his posture was the same as when he had wanted to confront Morioka.

Why?

Kurumu sprang after him, catching his hand only paces from the phantom child. The girl’s attire had changed to a yellow slicker and black galoshes, though there was no trace of the false rain. She was hopping about puddles that vanished the second she landed in them, splashing water particles up out of existence.

“You can’t.”

“I have to.”

“No, you don’t.”

“This is my fault! Yukari made it very clear that Nazohashi can’t leave this barrier.”

His conclusion was so baffling that he was able to wrest his hand free of her lax grip. She shook her head as he took two more heavy steps closer to peril.

“Your fault?! Tsukune, she did this to herself!”

“Because of me!”

Kurumu grimaced. There was no point arguing against this misplaced sense of responsibility. He was too good and often at his own detriment.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

Instead of responding, Tsukune steadily walked until he had reached the school gate. The phantom cocked her braided head aside, resting the pink umbrella on her shoulder. She looked harmless once more.

“I wish to speak with Nazohashi.”

“She is currently indisposed. Would you be interested in playing with me?”

Tsukune’s fists clenched.

“Would you wake her up for me?”

“I will not.”

The girl grinned with that feral attitude more associated with Morioka.

“Won’t you play with me?”

Kurumu drew close to him, resting her hands on his back. She could feel him shiver and the quickness of his heart.

“I’m not afraid. Nazohashi means me no harm.”

“This is not Nazohashi.”

“I can tell you really want inside.”

The girl tilted her head up, the tip of her tongue toying with her bared fang. A crimson spot danced about in the depths of her dark eyes.

“That’s all I need to start the game.”

“Let me speak with Nazohashi.”

“What is the password?”

“What?”

Tsukune stumbled forward a step, almost taking Kurumu with. Before he could take a second step, the little girl threw up a hand and the impenetrable force returned. Tsukune staggered back to his former spot.

“Not fair. You didn’t even think about that one.”

“Wait.”

“What walks on four legs when young, two legs when mature and three legs as death approaches?”

Tsukune stiffened.

“I understand.”

The girl’s eyes lit up, her fingers elongating.

“Is that your answer?”

“A man.”

The child cackled, holding her hand up once more. Her fingers had curled into cat’s claws. Kurumu clutched at the back of his shirt. She believed he had answered correctly but he did not make any attempts to enter.

“What is going on?”

“Yukari was right. There’s no point talking with her phantom.”

“What does a tiger eat?”

Tsukune smirked, shaking his head.

“A truck. I have a question for you.”

The girl grinned ear to ear almost literally.

“Oh? Do you have a riddle for me?”

“Can you let me in?”

“I could but I won’t.”

Kurumu scowled.

“But he has answered your question.”

“But I already told you how this works. This is my domain and my rules. Let’s play some more.”

Tsukune took a deep breath and tensed up.

“Wake up, Nazohashi! It’s Tsukune! I’ve come to answer your question!”

To her surprise, Nazohashi blinked beside the small child. The phantom immediately stiffened, all traces of her monstrosity gone. She was once again wearing the green and white stripped sundress, as if nothing had happened.

“Sorry. I was in the bathroom when this started.”

The phantom giggled, sticking her tongue out.

“Wee, wee, come out, come out.”

Nazohashi scowled, rapping her fist on top of the imp’s head. The loose, gray shirt drifted a little down her shoulder, though she promptly tugged it back in place. Shaking her head, she forced a smile at Tsukune.

“I hope the devil didn’t give you too much trouble. She tends to act up when I’m not watching her.”

Kurumu noted the black shorts, guessing this was Nazohashi’s sleep wear. Had she really spent the night on campus? When had Tsukune talked with Yukari about this?

“Um… I answered her question correctly.”

Nazohashi smiled softly.

“She denied entry. I can’t reverse her decisions.”

“How exactly does that work? It’s your domain, your rules. Why can’t you let Tsukune in?”

“Because she quickly reset the game. I suppose I could drop the barrier, but that would defeat the point of having put it up.

“But you can keep resetting it even if I get it right.”

Nazohashi smiled.

“Yea, but I pay a price for that. Each correct answer grants you more control over the spiritual barrier.”

“But this is a large barrier. He won’t ever answer enough questions to overpower our soul.”

Nazohashi thrust out a hand. The small girl reluctantly took it and vanished.

“She can be quite the nuisance, but it helps me sleep at night. It’s like having your own security system.”

Kurumu did feel more at ease with the phantom dispelled.

“I’ve decided to play your game on one condition. If I get the answer right, you agree to take down your barrier and keep this a secret.”

“The terms are pointless. You won’t answer mine correctly.”

“Do you agree?”

Nazohashi smiled, shaking her head.

“I agree. To answer my riddle you will need parts of these three things. Youths falling for love at first sight. The bloody conflict between right and right. An island of palm trees and the greatness of nature. What is an adjectival noun?”

Kurumu frowned. An adjectival noun was some sort of linguistics term in which a noun was used as an adjective. The answer was so simple.

“Is that really the question?”

“Yes, that is the question. But I won't let him pass if he does not solve the riddle.”

“Am I allowed to answer with the obvious?”

“Do you think that will be the answer that resonates with my soul? If you knew me, this would be easy.”

Tsukune clenched his fists. Most of what she had said made no sense. It might be similar to the riddle she had asked yesterday.

“Would writing it down help?”

“I will give you till the sun rises.”

“But you said there was no time limit!”

“Mr. Aono no longer has the freedom to move. He must remain in this spot till his answer is given. I would prefer to avoid unnecessary attention.”

“You should have thought of that before starting this.”

“I don’t feel comfortable leaving him in her care.”

Nazohashi regarded them with a firm gaze.

“She is not hindered by my ego. You can trust that I will cause you no harm when you fail to answer this.”

“I know that. It’s… very vague.”

Nazohashi chuckled softly.

“What would be the point if a riddle was obvious? I suppose I can give you some hints. The first is two words within half a phrase. The second is a concept. The third is one word composed of two parts. These describe an adjectival noun.”

Tsukune cupped his chin. He absently started to trace lines in the dirt at his feet.

“Can I get some paper and a pen?”

“She could. But you don’t have much time.”

“Kurumu, could you? I need to visualize this in every possible way it can be written.”

The thought of leaving him here was terrifying. No, she had to help him somehow. Standing here with worry did nothing.

“Okay.”

She turned away, unfurling her wings.

“And could you… get dressed?”

Kurumu smirked before taking off.

* * *

Kurumu had returned with the requested items with only a slight sigh from Tsukune upon noting how she had only slipped on a pair of shorts and a bra under the tank top. But time had been pressing and she saw no reason to be fully dressed for school.

She had thought about bringing Moka, but waking the vampire would have taken too much effort. Tsukune had wanted to do this alone. That was why he had come here so early in the morning. She wondered if Yukari had put him up to this, though that felt out of place. There was no reason for Yukari to drive Tsukune away. Right?

He was seated on the ground, fumbling through sheets of paper that he had scribbled the different versions of the same sentence over and over. He mixed the words in kanji and kana, rearranging them into different words. It certainly looked complex enough to be something Nazohashi would create.

The brunette stifled a yawn. She had been silent, not even remarking about Kurumu’s return. The girl occasionally glanced at the dial strapped on the inside of her wrist. It was already half past six. She was a little surprised none of the faculty had shown up yet.

“I need that answer.”

Tsukune grimaced.

“Tsukune?”

“I… I think the second part means battle or war. The first part divided in two is probably stand and gap. It sounds reasonable enough, since I’m stuck standing here in a doorway, so to speak, in a conflict with her.”

“Tsukune.”

He laughed nervously.

“I mean, she would do something like that, right? Since the word for island also means territory, I’m pretty sure it has something intruding, though it does not combine with anything else in that sentence.”

Kurumu’s heart sank. She gingerly touched his shoulders, looking down at the back of his neck.

“Tsukune. I can stay here with you.”

“You… you should get dressed.”

She caressed the locks of his hair. She had no intention of abandoning him when it was clear he was desperate. It did not matter to her if other students saw her in pajamas.

“If I rearrange the syllables of island and palm tree, I get imposter.”

“Imposter?”

Tsukune nodded.

“So an imposter's stand in a battle for a gap? How is this related?”

“Tsukune. We should wait for Yukari. She said she comes early to school.”

“Related… related… affiliated. Isn't affiliated the reverse of an adjectival noun? Perhaps the question is also a trick.”

Kurumu saw no change in Nazohashi’s expression. If Tsukune was stumbling close to the answer, the class rep betrayed no concern.

“So, what is affiliated with an imposter, stand, gap and battle?”

She could tell he wanted to answer this without Yukari. Was this a matter of pride? She gripped his shoulders firmly, squeezing.

“Tsukune, don’t. You know she will force you to leave the school. Is that really what you want?”

“I can’t be afraid, Kurumu. You have to trust me.”

How could she when he was trembling? He was grasping at air. Maybe Yukari could answer something this complex, but Tsukune was not a genius. She swallowed down the tightness in her throat.

“Nazohashi… please. I don’t want to lose him.”

“You won’t lose me, Kurumu.”

He took a deep, calming breath. He held up a sheet of paper to his shoulder. Among the jumbled text of the possible riddle combinations he had written down an address. He was prepared.

“I trust you will tell her.”

She almost reassured him it would not be needed. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she could not do it. He was leaving her the burden and it was better this way. He could be all hers and be none the wiser.

He stood up resolutely.

“It's a political coup. That is the answer to this riddle.”

Kurumu clutched at the paper, closing her eyes. She prayed for his safety. She prayed that they could stay together, no matter what happened.

“Return to your room and pack your things.”

She winced. She felt guilty, because her heart still wavered over what was best for Tsukune. One second she thought this was for the best and the next she knew it was not what he had wanted.

“Once you are finished packing your things, I want you to take it all to the bus stop. Once there, you will wait until I give you further orders.”

“Yes.”

Without saying another word, he turned about and started walking away.

“Tsukune?”

No. It could not end like this. She quickly got to her feet.

“Tsukune? Wait, Tsukune!”

A hand firmly enclosed about her wrist. She glanced back at Nazohashi, startled. How? The barrier. No, she could not feel it. There was nothing there at all.

“Let him go.”

Kurumu wrenched her hand free. It was not like the brunette had any strength to stop her. She hurried after Tsukune, quickly grabbing him by the back of his shirt. He ignored her, moving his feet so firmly that she feared tearing the fabric. She pounced against him, wrapping her arms about his torso. He was only human, but he was moving despite her efforts to plant her feet.

“You won't be able to stop him. Under my hypnosis he can tap into a strength he normally would not possess. People can lift cars in extreme situations. You'll only hurt him if you keep that up.”

“Tsukune, please.”

“He can’t.”

It was too much. Kurumu collapsed to her knees, letting him tear free of her grip. He continued walking without any awareness of her presence. In less than a minute, he had vanished into the thick of the woods. She regarded the crumpled paper in her fist, hoping it was still legible.

“Please. Nazohashi.”

She heard soft footsteps behind her, slowly approaching. Fingers timidly touched her shoulder.

“You should go back to the dorm. We both should shower and change. While there’s still time.”

He was leaving without a word. There would not even be a goodbye. Kurumu stuffed the paper into the pocket of her shorts.

“You can come with me to the bus stop when we have the time.”

Holding her hand to her chest, she stood up. She glanced at the brunette, noting the look of concern. That was not fair. She was not allowed to be concerned.

Her palm stung a little after striking against the girl’s cheek. Those jade eyes quickly welled up with tears as Nazohashi staggered back a step. Touching her face, the brunette looked away.

“I had to.”

Kurumu clenched her fist. All the emotional turmoil this past day had left her with an inescapable void of frustration. Everything felt futile. She knew too little to embrace the wants that had become her pillars.

“No, you didn’t.”

“Kurumu. We don’t have time for this.”

As the brunette started rambling about what they had to do, Kurumu pounced at the girl. She hit Nazohashi in the flat chest, barreling the thin girl to the ground. Her heart hurt so much at the thought of this being for the best. Nazohashi was the enemy. Willing her fingers into daggers, she stabbed down through Nazohashi's shoulder.

The girl screamed in pain. Nazohashi rolled hard to her injured side, swinging her good arm about. It barely glanced Kurumu's side as she was thrown over by Nazohashi's roll. Hitting the dirt, Kurumu yanked her talons out of the girl and drew her hand back. As Nazohashi struggled to get away, Kurumu slashed out, tearing a huge gouge down the tanned girl's back. Crimson blood quickly welled into the ravaged flesh, rending the gray shirt in half.

Nazohashi managed to get on her hands and knees and started to crawl. Kurumu started pursuit but the brunette quickly sprung to her feet. Kurumu reached for the girl's ankle but missed. Snarling, she put her own feet to the ground and launched out at the girl. Her talons raked across the bloodied mess of Nazohashi’s back.

Then something black cut through what remained of the garments. Massive appendages sprung out, startling Kurumu. They arched up and spread out, feathers fluttering about with a massive flex. With one more step, the brunette sprung up into the air.

Kurumu gawked for a moment at those black wings. With how things had went with Saizou, she had not expected Nazohashi to have such a thing. She watched as the girl shot up only a few feet, promptly clinging to a tree. Flexing her wings back in, Nazohashi scrambled up the tree, her fingers stabbing into the bark to create holds no human could manage.

Shaking her head, Kurumu willed her wings out. She hopped up into the air, pumping her chiropteran appendages. She watched as Nazohashi continued to climb up the tree, noting the girl’s hands were tufted and clawed in the same manner Morioka's had been. The girl also had a ropy length of tail hanging out over the hem of her shorts. It was tipped with a black poof of fur.

So this was Nazohashi’s true form. Surely that girl could have done something against Saizou. Kurumu circled about, feeling the momentum of her anger dissipating. If she did not attack soon, she would lose all heart.

Despite all the other changes, Nazohashi's head and face remained the same. Perhaps aware that she had no safer place to go, the brunette hugged the narrow trunk of the tall tree. The gaping tear in the back was still bloodied, but her tan hide was now covered in a fine layer of tawny fur.

“Release him.”

The brunette offered no response. She clung tighter to the tree, her body shaking. Blood trickled down her back, staining the hem of her shorts.

“Please. Nazohashi, please.”

“What are you girls doing up there?”

Nazohashi relaxed at the sound of another voice. Kurumu winced, glancing down at the nearby trail. The tall man below had short, curly locks of orange. She vaguely recognized him as one of the gym teachers. She sighed, aware that they would both be in trouble for revealing their true forms like this. She had already been scolded by Ms. Nekonome about Wednesday’s activities.

Impulsively, Kurumu darted through the branches and caught Nazohashi by the tail. Clenching down hard enough to cause a squealed protest, Kurumu pumped her wings with all her might. The girl had a damn good grip on that tree. There was a crackling sound as the wood yielded to the stress. And suddenly Kurumu was taking off to the sky with a heavy weight in her hands. She shot off even faster when Nazohashi dropped the top of the tree she had taken with them, nearly squashing the angry teacher below.

Kurumu knew she had to put some distance between her and the school. She flew out of the forest in a couple beats, looking down upon the lake and clearing where they had saved Yukari. Thinking this was far enough, she dropped the winged girl to the ground.

Kurumu was mildly startled at how quickly Nazohashi recovered. Once released, the girl twisted about in the air within those mere seconds of descent and sprung upon the ground landing on all fours. Her arms had lengthened, allowing the girl to lope across the field like an animal.

Despite how fast the girl moved, Kurumu had an aerial view and could keep up with relative ease. But she could not let the girl enter the forest again. She zipped down, catching up to the sprinting brunette. But the difference in speed was not great enough for her to stop Nazohashi. She grabbed hold of the tail again, pumping up to lift the girl off the ground.

The sudden jerk in opposing directions caused both of them to tumble. Kurumu glimpsed Nazohashi burying her face in the dirt as her hind end flipped up and over. And the next moment Kurumu fell hard on her back, crushing her wings so awkwardly that one snapped loudly. She cringed in pain, forcing herself up into a seated position to relieve the pressure on her injured wing, though it hardly helped.

Nazohashi was crying. The girl struggled in the dirt like a wounded animal, unable to stand. One shoulder was bloodied and the other looked dislocated given how limp the whole arm was. Her wings batted at the air wild and uncoordinated.

Grimacing, Kurumu leaned forward as she picked herself up from the ground. She was certain her wing was broken again since it sagged so low that it scraped painfully across the dirt as she staggered closer to her enemy. Swallowing hard, she willed two fingers into daggers as she approached.

“Stop.”

When had he…? Kurumu slowly turned about. Already dressed for school, Morioka stood safely out of reach with his arms about his chest. His unyielding look of disapproval angered her. She flexed her wings, intent on attack, but it hurt too much.

“Tsukune…”

“Is better off this way. Hurting Tora won’t help matters. I thought you would be more rational.”

Kurumu collapsed on her knees, clutching at the dirt. She choked on her breath as her shoulders shook. Rational? When had wanting Tsukune ever been rational? She clutched at her chest, feeling like her heart could break.

Morioka sighed heavily. He walked by her, even allowing her the opening to grab for him. But she could not do it. Everything was futile.

“Can you get up?”

Nazohashi had notably calmed since his arrival, though she still whimpered and sobbed with every breath. Morioka knelt down beside her.

“It hurts.”

“Yea… sometimes doing the right thing is like that. Feels like shit. Sorry.”

Kurumu grimaced. She hated this attitude. He was annoying when he was talking with that cocky, knowing grin. But this reluctant, unwanted hero bullshit was grounds for execution. She wished she had the strength.

“My shoulder.”

“Yea, I saw. Looked funny as hell when she tried to pick you up.”

Nazohashi whimpered.

“I’ll take you to the nurse. Broken things may heal on their own, but it always goes much faster with proper care.”

Kurumu wondered how long Morioka had been watching them. She still did not feel him, though she could clearly see he was here. Did he have that much control over his desires? She might not be naked, but even the teacher had given off more interest in her appearance than Morioka was.

“How are the wings? Broken?”

“I… I don’t think so. Bruised, but I think I can dispel them.”

“Why didn’t you fly? These are much bigger than hers and you can't weigh more than her.”

Kurumu bristled at that remark.

“Can’t you be serious?!”

But that grin on his lips said much.

“Little Tora here doesn’t have a chance to outweigh you.”

The sudden outpour of desire angered her. She suspected this had something to do with the assets her shirt barely contained.

“Well… it's not like I had a lot of opportunities to fly. When would I ever need to?”

Morioka chuckled, picking up the length of her limp tail.

“Spoken like a true, domesticated Yokai. So does this thing hurt at all?”

With her good arm, Nazohashi snatched her tail from his grasp. She clutched it to her small chest, pulling away from him. Her swollen face was already red from the impact, though her embarrassment was apparent.

Kurumu could read his motives. She wanted to tear his throat out, but knew she was in no shape for success. Picking herself up from the ground, she flexed her wing to confirm if she could safely draw them back in. She sighed.

“Leave her alone, Morioka. I wouldn’t want you touching my tail either.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“I get it. You don’t want me hurting her, so I won’t. I already knew it was your fault to begin with.”

Morioka grinned as he stood back up. He thrust one hand in his pocket.

“Of course. Poor kitten here was so scared of being alone at school. I had to spend the night with her.”

“Senior!”

“She has such a cute snore. Almost like a purr.”

Nazohashi staggered up on her feet with a horrified expression.

“I’m surprised she could sleep. I doubt she’ll soon forget the night I made her a woman.”

With her tail still clutched to her breast, Nazohashi backed away a step while shaking her head in denial. She glanced at Kurumu.

“Don’t look at me. You wanted to help this pervert.”

“Of course she did. You can’t fault a fish for swimming or a bird for flying. A guardian will naturally strive to protect someone.”

“Is that what you think she did?”

“He’s right. I… didn’t want to see Tsukune hurt. For everyone’s sake.”

Kurumu scowled. This was getting back to not knowing what was best and right and she was exhausted with it.

“Fine. I guess I’m going home to shower.”

“Actually I already committed to taking the both of you to the disciplinary office. That teacher you nearly killed, Mr. Enkan, was not too happy.”

He had watched the whole thing. She hated him. Kurumu sighed, realizing that she could not run away in her current state. She suspected Morioka would love any excuse that involved taking her by force.

“Carry me.”

“What?”

“Carry me. It would be annoying if you decided to carry her.”

“I think I can walk.”

Her posture betrayed her willingness to submit to the alternative.

“Unlike her, I don’t want to be disciplined. So if you’re not carrying me, I’m going home now.”

Morioka chuckled. He did not hesitate any further to comply with her demand.

* * *

In a roundabout way, Kurumu had finally acquired a new school uniform. After being thoroughly scolding about fighting in true forms on school grounds, Mr. Enkan had noted the time. After a few words with Ms. Hoshineru, the two gym teachers had suggested showering in the gym facilities and wearing a loaner from the academy store. When she had mentioned plans of buying another anyways, Ms. Hoshineru assured her that the bill could be forwarded home.

Much to her disliking, the nature of her fight had been written off as a squabble over a boy. While correct, Morioka had volunteered this convoluted story of her having a thing for him which Nazohashi had readily corroborated. Deciding it best to leave Tsukune out of this, she resisted the urge to correct them.

It really bothered Kurumu to be lectured over the importance of keeping their true forms secretive. Kurumu understood that they were in a school meant to teach them how to integrate into human society and that maintaining her illusion was important. But it was difficult to take such a thing seriously when their homeroom teacher could not manage to get through a single lesson without a mishap.

Ms. Tsumugi had also been present during the lecture and had accompanied them to the gym. After washing off the blood and grime, the nurse had promptly bandaged them up and sent them off to the academy store with a note. It had felt weird walking about the nearly empty halls in gym clothes with her left wing in a splint.

Nazohashi had not bothered to accompany her. Informing the teachers that she had a uniform on campus, she had excused herself shortly after Ms. Tsumugi had finished dressing her injury. As neither her tail nor wings had been significantly injured, the brunette had been encouraged to resume her human form. Kurumu was a little envious, but the restraint required for that shoulder injury was not something she’d trade for.

It had crossed her mind to find Tsukune, but she knew there was little she could do. He would either be in his room or on the way to the bus stop. It would hurt too much to merely stand next to him while he ignored her.

After continually forgetting to get this done, Kurumu finally set foot in the school’s store. It was her first time, since the uniforms were available on order and most school supplies could be picked up anywhere. As it had been halfway through first period, the bored attendant had enjoyed taking care of her needs.

While the clerk had been excessively touching of her annoyingly responsive body, the bald man had fitted her in a dress shirt and jacket carefully tailored about her wings. It had initially shocked her to see him tear the garments in half before he quickly started working on them. The end result was something she could have someone else zip and snap up for her if she ever had to break out these wings for a school function.

She had returned to class halfway through second period. Ms. Sunao had offered several apologies on her arrival that Kurumu had been confused. It was not like she expected the teacher to wait for her before starting the lecture. After calming the quirky language arts teacher down, Kurumu had slipped into her desk.

Kurumu sighed, wishing she had some way to tell the time without her usual wristwatch. Mr. Nagamushi was spouting his usual nonsense. She knew Nazohashi would probably head to the bus station soon, since the lunch break was the only reasonable time to go. Leaving Tsukune in that trance for a whole day of school felt irresponsible. Considering how few things he owned, he had probably arrived at the bus stop before Kurumu had even made it to class.

Dokiniji was called upon to read a passage. It was not like Dokiniji was the smartest girl in class, but somehow the blonde was called on more consistently than any other student. It had to be where she was seated. The center of the second row asked for punishment.

If she had to guess, she would say Natsudera was the next victim. The only reason why Yamazaru was spared similar torment was due to him being a complete idiot. At this point, the teachers only called on him when they thought he was dozing off.

Moka was distant, staring out the window. The vampire had not attempted to talk with her in the breaks between classes, though she might have been intimidated. Several of her classmates had felt the sudden urge to be sociable. Unsurprisingly, it was the boys.

Burumoto had dominated the first break. Starting out with how hurt he was over her standing him up on his birthday, they had shared some harmless banter about trivial things. She had felt compelled to ask what he had done to celebrate without her. A video game marathon had not even ranked as a possibility to her, but she supposed boys would be competitive with anything. He had inquired about her injury and she had elected to go with the story they had told the teachers. It was not like he knew whom Morioka was or would care about her fighting over the guy.

She had struggled to keep her thoughts from wandering during Ms. Kagome’s class. She had worried over what she would say to Moka after class, and contemplated forcing conversation with the reclusive Shirayuki or the sleeping Genzouyaki to avoid the issue. She had no idea how Moka would react to this news about Tsukune.

Surprisingly Yougan and Ikazuchi had decided to eat up those minutes on what it was like being a succubus. It was hard to sort out her feelings on how that went. It was not like the two were trying to make fun of her or thought she was some terrible thing they should persecute. Ikazuchi was openly jealous of her ability, wishing he could charm a whole crowd of ladies to service him in every way imaginable.

It was when Takurami had joined in that the conversation became intolerable. He was among those that felt being a succubus meant being a sexual deviant. His remarks about her ongoing threesome with Tsukune were tinged with bitter envy. It only took a glance from Burumoto for Tamaishi to curb that talk with an intimidating fist to Takurami’s desktop.

The bell could not have rang a second sooner. Kurumu quickly slipped out of her desk, pausing only a second before deciding against bringing Moka into this. She forced a polite smile and wave to Burumoto as she made her way to the front of the classroom. Thankfully Nazohashi was taking her time collecting her things, allowing Kurumu to reach her before she could leave.

“Have you told Moka?”

“Why should I have to? This was your fault.”

Nazohashi struggled to free herself from the desk. It looked awkward to move about with her arm immobilized like that. After managing to get the strap of her bag over her head, Nazohashi started for the hall.

Kurumu had not consciously thought about it, but Nazohashi was left handed. It was one of those unimportant details that only registered now, explaining why the brunette had such an awkward time doing things. She honestly had not thought to question why the brunette had abstained from taking notes today.

Walking down a hall with an injured wing was more troublesome than she expected. She easily tucked in her good wing to her side, but the other often got in the way of other students.

“Kurumu!”

Moka’s hand snatched hers. Nazohashi paused, regarding the vampire.

“I heard about the fight.”

“We settled our differences, more or less.”

Did she have no intentions of telling Moka? It was not like they could keep this secret if she planned to force Tsukune’s resignation.

“Yea… but… I haven’t seen Tsukune since yesterday morning.”

Kurumu flinched. If she left now, she would be no different.

“She’s coming with us.”

“Okay.”

The utter lack of resistance was startling. Decisively, Kurumu squeezed Moka’s hand and started after the brunette whom had resumed her march to the nearest stairway. When they got to Tsukune, Moka would understand. Moka was much closer to Nazohashi. She might even listen to the vampire.

Instead of heading for the cafeteria, they were walking towards the stairs that would take them quickest out of the building. They had not gone but a few steps before Moka squealed with alarm and Yukari giggled with glee.

“Oh, what have we here? Are these some boobies that missed me?”

“Kurumu! Help me!”

“Ms. Sendou. That is grossly inappropriate.”

Kurumu sighed, releasing Moka’s hand. Despite having both hands free, the vampire only stiffened up with her hands balled in tight fists. Tears touched the corners of her eyes as she endured the scandalous assault on her breasts. Surely the fabric of that jacket was thick enough to wash out any pleasure one might get from such a rough groping.

“We don't have time for this.”

“I always have time for Moka.”

The girl rubbed up against Moka's back. Kurumu noticed the absence of the hat. Without a second thought, she placed her hand on the witch’s head and tousled her hair. Grinning, she did it rough enough to break the girl’s hold on the vampire.

“Hey! That hurts!”

“It always does at first.”

At least that was what she understood. She grinned, doubting this child would understand her statement.

“So says the virgin.”

Kurumu wanted to smack that girl. Shaking her head she started down the stairs. She heard Yukari's footsteps but it took a few seconds for the vampire to join them. Kurumu reached the bottom and turned to her right, walking out the nearest double doors.

They walked around the building and started across the clearing towards the entrance. Kurumu glanced over her shoulder, noting that the vampire had caught up with Yukari. Moka's face was still flush, but she quickly grabbed hold of Yukari’s hand. Kurumu suspected the gesture was mostly to prevent any further sexual assaults.

Kurumu shook her head as she kept up the brisk pace Nazohashi had set. She had no idea why Moka allowed Yukari to do things like that. Heavens forbid Yukari got any ideas of putting hands in other places, since Moka obviously had issues pushing the girl away.

“So as we are leaving the school grounds during the lunch hour, I take it we are going to visit Tsukune.”

“I guess so. He hasn’t been feeling well.”

Kurumu smiled softly as they reached the boards near the front gate. She could tell Nazohashi wanted to make it back to school before the end of the lunch hour, but the bus stop was quite the walk through the forest. Kurumu did not care much about being late for another class today.

“That’s an understatement. When I saw him this morning he was in a trance. The only things he would say was, I have to go to my room and pack my things and go to the bus stop. When I asked why he merely repeated the phrase.”

Kurumu winced.

“Kurumu?”

What could she say? Was it safe to talk about these circumstances with Yukari around? It was not like they had invited the girl to tag along. Nazohashi had not even tried to discourage it.

“Kurumu?”

“He tried to answer her riddle, Moka. I’m sorry.”

“Oh. Okay.”

She did not want to turn around and see disappointment. Moka probably was angry with her. She probably thought she could have handled the situation better. Moka had no reservations about sucking his blood, even though he was human. Moka would not have hesitated, which is why Kurumu needed her to argue the desire she was afraid to indulge. Moka could unwaveringly believe that Tsukune was safe here.

“That does explain the trance. So what does Ms. Nazohashi plan to do with him? I did not think she was interested in Tsukune.”

Kurumu almost laughed. Those circumstances may have been better. Shaking her head, she tried to quicken her pace so as not to lose sight of Nazohashi. That girl was moving fast despite her injuries. Kurumu could barely avoid grimacing at the slight bob to her step. It caused her wing to jostle more than she was comfortable with.

“She plans to make him leave the school.”

Kurumu winced at Moka’s response, though she knew there was little chance they would be able to keep it a secret.

“Did you try kissing him?”

Kurumu paused. The thought had not even crossed her mind. Ever since hearing him admit to being human, she had struggled with the concept of whether or not she could safely continue a physical relationship with him.

“The charm of a succubus is very powerful.”

She turned about, regarding the witch whom was still holding Moka’s hand. It was difficult. One minute she behaved like some lecherous old man with a childish heart and the next she was cold, intellectual and intimidating.

“Would it work?”

“So you didn’t try it.”

Yukari lowered her head, staring at the dirt.

“Then this is best for him.”

Kurumu grimaced. Nazohashi had gained a lot of ground.

“So you were part of it.”

“A misguided conclusion.”

“Tsukune said you spoke with him. You told him Nazohashi couldn’t leave the barrier.”

“Your senior was lying about the barrier. I knew she wasn’t taking down the barrier. I could sense it was still present when I left.”

“Why didn’t you help him?”

“Because he told me nothing was wrong.”

There was nothing she could be upset about. It was something Tsukune would say. Angrily she resumed her course. She could tell Nazohashi was trying to get there ahead of them. It would make sending Tsukune away easier.

“Um… Yukari? Would it work?”

“Impossible to say. I don’t fully understand how the charm of a succubus works. Spiritual contracts are difficult to overpower.”

“So it wouldn’t break his trance?”

“It may depend on the strength of your convictions. But you would be trading one form of slavery for another.”

With so many doubts in her heart, Kurumu already knew it would fail. Succeeding in making him into a slave was not a pleasant alternative.

“What was the riddle?”

Kurumu smiled. She wished Tsukune had waited the ten or fifteen minutes it would have taken for Yukari to arrive.

“I don’t remember most of it. The question part was what is an adjectival noun? Tsukune spent almost an hour trying to piece it together. She kept saying if we knew her, it would be simple.”

Yukari giggled.

“Sphinx.”

“Huh?”

“If you break up the word entirely, you end up with temple knight. She was challenging you to identify her true form. I didn’t realize Ms. Nazohashi could be so devious.”

“Wait… what?”

“I’m guessing anything else she said was just nonsensical gibberish. Sphinxes are notorious for giving useless information to muddle up simple answers. It’s like starting with the statement of a couple going on a picnic and then listing off every relative, child, ancestor and friend you can think of. After this huge exposition of excess, you’re then asked how many people went to the picnic.”

Kurumu had read a few such riddles. After falling for the first one, she had never allowed herself to be blinded by the trivial stuff again.

“When did you figure out Tora was a sphinx?”

“I thought that was obvious. Very few creatures exist that can create spiritual barriers like that. The entry process and the soul shard.”

“Soul shard?”

“That child she created. Everything about her powers involved the energy from her soul. That’s the formula for a sphinx. As an abomination, their ability to tap into the flow of natural energy is nonexistent.”

Kurumu did not want to say anything. She only knew that the Sphinx was some ancient Egyptian sculpture. She was unaware of it being a race of monsters and would have never attributed it to Japan.

A few minutes of silence passed and Kurumu sighed. Nazohashi was too far ahead to be seen at this point and it was too painful to jog. Knowing it would only take a couple sentences, she started wondering if Moka had some reservations against stopping Nazohashi. There was nothing holding the vampire back. Where was the urgency that she had shown when sprinting off into the forest to save Yukari?

“So how long have you known Tsukune was human?”

“One question ago.”

Kurumu groaned, throwing a glance back at Moka. She wanted to know why Moka had voiced something so delicate, even though it had been reasonable to suspect the witch knew.

“Don’t scold my Moka. It was an inevitable conclusion when a succubus doesn’t even try to kiss the man she loves.”

“So… you think he should leave too.”

“I don’t know Tsukune all that well. He’s a nice guy but he’s reckless. He shouldn’t try to stand out so much.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“When people talk about your class, the first thing they think about is how the powerful Aono beat up that monstrel Saizou on the first day of school. With how unpopular monstrels are, a lot of people admire him.”

“That can’t be the only thing they talk about.”

“It’s only the third week. There’s not much else about your class to talk about. Aono Tsukune, the man that defeated a monstrel and has two pretty girls fighting over him already.”

Kurumu winced. Her antics that first week had done him no favors. Of course bystanders would conclude that. She had to frequently clear up that whenever someone talked to her about Tsukune.

“But Tsukune doesn’t want to leave.”

“I… I don’t think I can help.”

“That’s okay. I didn’t think you could.”

“I can’t dispel spiritual magic. It would be safer to kill Nazohashi.”

“You shouldn’t say such things, Yukari.”

Kurumu could not chime in. Her injury was proof enough that she had already traveled down that road, though she would argue lashing out had not been some premeditated attempt at murder. With the teacher witnessing part of the fight, there was no way she would have gotten away with it.

They finally stepped out of the woods as the path met the road. It was her understanding that the paved drive cut around to the small town. Moving down the path on the left, they started up the long hill that would end near the stop. Nazohashi must already be at the top with Tsukune.

“So Moka. Were you planning to mate with Tsukune?”

“What?! No! We’re good friends is all!”

Kurumu could almost smile despite the pain of hearing Tsukune in the past tense. She could always rely on Moka to keep things innocent.

“So drinking his blood isn’t a claim?”

“Claim? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Vampires are capable of mating with humans if they wish. While it is usually frowned upon, they can make a blood claim.”

“No, Yukari! You're misunderstanding things!”

Kurumu sighed, realizing the two had stopped. With a hand on her hip, she turned about.

“Moka only uses Tsukune when she is really hungry.”

Yukari frowned.

“But vampires don't need blood.”

Kurumu gaped, without words. She glanced at Moka. The vampire sheepishly looked away.

“Of course vampires need blood. Every story about them involves blood.”

“It makes them more powerful but they don't need it to live.”

Kurumu was struggling with the statement, but realized it did not contradict what she knew.

“Moka?”

“Well… he is my first.”

“I thought you needed blood. Do you mean to tell me that you don't need to drink Tsukune's blood? Ever?”

Moka gnawed on her lower lip.

“I really like the taste.”

Kurumu grimaced, understanding why Moka had been reluctant to drink her blood that one time. So drinking blood was like having Tsukune fondle her tits. It made her feel good but was not in any way vital to her survival.

Whirling about, Kurumu stomped her way up the path.

“Remind me to hurt you after this.”

In gloomy silence they reached the top of the hill. Three figures were standing near the sign that indicated the bus stop. Tsukune and Nazohashi were expected, but Kurumu glowered at the presence of Morioka. It figures he would be here to make sure Nazohashi stuck with his plan.

Tsukune was standing resolutely, staring vacantly in the direction of the swirling portal inside the tunnel carved into the mountainside. It was an odd mountain that abruptly tapered off into the sea. The road winding out of the tunnel only had a few meters clearance from the cliff side.

As the road came up the hill it started to veer away from the cliff. A large tree was perched precariously between the road edge and the cliff at the point where another sign was posted. This sign proudly proclaimed this to be the Yokai Academy.

“I see you brought the kid.”

“She didn’t mention it?”

“She did, but I hoped you would ditch her.”

Morioka rubbed the back of his head.

“I guess it can’t do any harm. Tsukune’s already been told what to do. He’s going to get on the bus and never return to Yokai Academy.”

Tsukune stood resolutely, regarding the road. She forced a smile as she moved deliberately to him. With a deep breath, she hugged him. There was no response from his body. She had not expected one, but it still hurt.

“An indefinite order?”

Morioka grinned at the little witch. A silver wolf head dangled from a black cord about his neck as he leaned in closer.

“A what?”

“An order without an ending. That will be hard on Ms. Nazohashi.”

Nazohashi shrugged, wincing from the involuntary shoulder movement.

“You are aware that she uses her spirit in these matters. A part of her soul will remain trapped within Tsukune forever.”

Morioka planted his palm on Yukari’s head, shaking her roughly about.

“You’re a real nuisance.”

Yukari’s fists clenched but she endured the treatment.

“I’ll be fine, Ms. Sendou.”

While they were distracted, Kurumu checked the paper to confirm she could still make out his information. Relieved, she slipped it into her own pocket. She noted the metal post and sign that indicated this was the bus stop. It only had two times on it, suggesting the service was daily. The first time listed was a little before one. It would be worth sticking around.

“Tora… won’t you reconsider?”

Nazohashi laughed, wincing. Absently she touched her shoulder.

“What’s to think about? This is a monster school, Moka. Most of the students here would get suspicious about a kid that doesn’t recover from his injuries like everyone else. You can’t promise me that he’ll never get hurt.”

Yukari huffed loudly.

“Fine. I didn’t want to do this, but I’m given no choice.”

“Huh?”

Yukari strolled over to Tsukune, thrusting a hand out. Taking the hint, Kurumu backed off. Preening her uniform, Yukari stepped in close and placed her hands on his hips. She looked tiny compared to him with her head barely at chest level.

The little girl reached up, clutching fistfuls of Tsukune's shirt. Tugging hard, she forced Tsukune's face down. Kurumu squeaked a protest as Yukari quickly pressed her small lips against Tsukune's.

“Hey?!”

“Yukari!”

The witch released him and Tsukune promptly righted himself. He bobbed slightly but recovered as if nothing had happened. Yukari sighed heavily, letting her hands fall to her sides.

“I guess not.”

Kurumu closed the distance in a matter of seconds. She snatched the little girl up by the collar, hauling her off her feet. The little girl slung her arm over Kurumu's for support, though she merely turned her head aside with a wistful smile.

“What the hell were you thinking?! How dare you kiss him when he is helpless like this?!”

Yukari giggled.

“It was worth a shot. Every fairy tale I’ve read seems to sell the idea that true love’s kiss can break the most powerful enchantments.”

“You're not his true love!”

“It was only a kiss.”

Kurumu scowled. Angrily, she lowered the girl down instead of dropping her. Pouting, she crossed her arms and stared out over the sea.

“We should get going.”

“Hold up.”

Morioka pulled out a couple papers from his jacket.

“I don’t know how desperate any of you might be for Tsukune, so I grabbed a few extras. It’s a generic resignation form. I can turn it in with Tsukune’s if you-“

Moka slapped him so abruptly it caught everyone off guard. Morioka bowed his head, his cheery mood dispelled for the moment. He clenched his fist, the paper crumpling in his grasp. His fang slipped out as he grinned.

“I take it you don’t want them. That’s good.”

“I’m sure they will stay with him until the bus departs. You shouldn’t miss any more classes today.”

Morioka laughed, straightening up.

“It would never have worked, Moka.”

Moka glanced aside, her body tense.

“That’s not for you to decide.”

Morioka laughed far more amicably this time.

“Naw, naw. I mean us. You’re far too innocent for me. Sleeping beauty is more my style, but she’s content to sleep forever.”

“Senior?”

“I’m coming.”

Morioka turned away and started off. He passed Nazohashi without missing a step. With a slight nod of her head to them, Nazohashi followed him.

“Unrewarding, I tell ya.”

There was not much to say as the pair departed. Eventually the bus would come and take Tsukune away. He would never return to Yokai. She could still write to him, considering she had his contact information. That precious scrap of paper was safely tucked away in her gym locker.

The sound of an engine roared into life from nearby. The bus had emerged from the swirling portal and was trundling along the road in their direction. It would arrive at the stop in a matter of minutes.

“You two should return to class. I doubt anyone would care if I stayed here the rest of the day, but I know you can’t afford to miss a day of school.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means a Daughter of Lilith should try to polish other qualities instead of relying on her fun bags for everything.”

Kurumu had no idea who this Lilith was, but could barely contain her urge to wring that scrawny neck for talking shit like that. This was not the time to throw about insults.

“Yukari.”

“I’m serious, Moka. She’s not allowed to go with him.”

Kurumu scowled. Taking a calming breath, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts as she watched the bus close the final meters. It rolled to a stop, the door folding open. The engine continued to chatter as the hydraulics announced the settling of the bus.

A familiar figure stepped down the stairs and off the bus. He pulled a long cigar out of his mouth, adjusting the brim of his blue hat. He grinned beneath that greased mustache.

“Unusual to have so many students here at once. Here for a field trip?”

“My lover and I plan to elope.”

Kurumu turned wide eyes on the little witch as the driver laughed heartily. She made a step for the girl, but Tsukune promptly walked across her line of sight, intent on the bus.

“A sending away party? Didn't think this kid had what it takes.”

Kurumu ignored Tsukune, hopping over to the driver and grabbing fistfuls of his blue suit.

“He's under a spell. He doesn't want to go.”

The driver laughed, tucking his cigar back into the corner of his mouth. He took a long draw, puffing out acrid smoke into her face. Kurumu coughed, letting go with a hand to wave the cloud away.

“That may be, but I'm just the driver. I'm only here to deliver the mail.”

Kurumu bit her lip, letting go of him. She glanced at the vampire, whom had hurried up next to her.

“Please, Sir. Isn't there something you can do?”

The driver thumbed back at the bus. Tsukune was stepping up inside, holding a duffle bag that must have contained all his belongings. He walked up each step and turned down the center aisle.

“I can take your friend home.”

Kurumu scowled, aware that Yukari was clambering up the steps. The little witch was looking about with a contemplative expression.

“What are you doing?”

“This is… interesting.”

The driver lifted his arm, tugging back his sleeve to regard a silver watch.

“It’s a long walk back to school. You’ll both be late.”

“That’s not the point.”

The driver chuckled, clapping a hand down on her shoulder while doing the same to Moka.

“Have a safe journey.”

In the blink of an eye, Kurumu suddenly was standing at the front doors of the academy. She glanced about, bewildered. Moka was beside her, equally confused. The bell rang, announcing the end of the lunch hour.

Not caring about chemistry, Kurumu turned on her heel and started back for the bus stop. Moka was not far behind.

* * *

It hurt. Her wing hurt, her sides were aching and now her chest felt like someone had grabbed her heart and started squeezing mercilessly. She clutched her fist to her breast, trying to keep her ragged breaths quiet since Ms. Nekonome had already asked once if she needed to see the nurse. There was nothing a nurse could do about this.

When they had reached the bus stop, Tsukune was gone. Kurumu had tried running through the portal, but it was impossible. She would dart through the tunnel only to find herself running back out. On a whim she even tried walking backwards, though that also failed.

Despite knowing the outcome and preparing for his departure, she still broke down when she realized she might never see him again. She cried, trying so hard to stop. It could have been hours, considering they had not made their way back to school until after the start of the gym hour.

Electing to skip class and wait in the class for the next period, Kurumu had fought down any urge to cry about Tsukune. She had to figure out how things could work without him here. She had to write happy things to him, or he would never want to see her again.

The end of the hour sounded. Kurumu flinched at the sound of Nazohashi calling out the customary commands to end a day of school. She ignored it, remaining seated as most of her peers stood up and bowed to this mockery of an institution. How could the faculty boast about human integration when they could not even keep one human safe?

She watched the others gather up their things. That redheaded boy with the long sideburns was already at the board wiping it down. The boy looked over his shoulder as he gestured to the spot that had listed the classroom cleaning assignments. He then promptly wiped that spot off.

Burumoto was working that broom excessively hard on the floor. The shaft was tiny in his meaty fists. She expected it would break any second.

When she looked over, she realized Shirayuki had already left and Genzouyaki was gathering up her things. Kurumu sighed. This was going to be how things would be. In another week, most of her classmates would behave like Tsukune had never been there at all.

Most of the students had left, though Tamaishi was sticking around likely to walk with his teammate to practice. Tomisaki had already finished up with the board and was getting his things together. He was chuckling about something while speaking with Nazohashi. The tan girl merely smiled, shaking her head.

A palm pressed down on her shoulder. She glanced up at Moka. The vampire forced a slight smile.

“It will be fine, Kurumu. I promise.”

Moka had been saying things like that since the empty clearing. It was difficult to handle such pointless optimism. Kurumu nodded, unable to return the smile.

Oddly, Moka left the room. She probably did not want to deal with club nonsense. Kurumu could understand that, though she had nothing else to do. This weekend would be dreadful.

It looked like Nazohashi was staying as she waved at the departing Tomisaki. Now that the issue with Tsukune was resolved, she would get back to working on newspaper things like nothing had happened.

Burumoto walked by, moving the broom across the floor. He kept his head down to the task, carefully sweeping around her feet. He moved away, guiding the pile of dust and trash towards the podium. Holding the pan, Tamaishi knelt down as Burumoto finished up the task.

It was not long before they were the only two seated in the classroom. The two boys retreated to the back of the class, Burumoto stopping at his desk to grab his schoolbag. Burumoto offered a generic farewell as the two slipped out the back door, leaving the two girls alone.

After a couple minutes of silence, Nazohashi loudly sighed. The brunette stumbled free of her chair. Fixing her skirt, the class rep stepped around the front row of desks and came down her aisle. She stopped shy of Kurumu’s desk, setting a folded sheet of paper on the surface.

“This is the form I had him sign. I don’t need it.”

Kurumu warily eyed the girl. She slowly reached for the paper, taking it. Without bothering to look at it, she tore it in half.

“I was going to turn it in after school.”

“Doesn’t matter. If he can’t return, he can’t return.”

Nazohashi frowned.

“What are you talking about? You broke the spell so I have no reason to keep this.”

Okay. Nazohashi was confused. This was not good.

“So… Tsukune can come back to school?”

“How did you guys break the spell? Did you kiss him? I thought you would be more hesitant to do something that dangerous.”

“I… no.”

Kurumu sighed.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Tsukune got on the bus with Yukari. I was trying to talk some sense into the driver when he teleported Moka and I to the school grounds.”

“You guys weren’t in class, though.”

“We immediately went back to the bus stop.”

Kurumu frowned.

“We should have passed you. I mean, there’s no way you could have made it to class before us.”

Nazohashi’s face flushed. The slight fidget did bring one way to mind. For all his complaints, that guy was getting his feels in for one day.

“When did the spell break?”

“Well… not that long after class started. It was weird. One second I could feel him and the next he was gone.”

Kurumu scowled, clenching her fist. It must have been Yukari’s doing. Why did she insist toying around with them like that?

“Since you guys weren’t in class, I assumed you did something.”

Kurumu sighed, shaking her head. She would deal with Yukari’s trickery later. Right now she had to find Tsukune. There had to be some reason he had not returned to school after the spell was broken. Where would he go?

Her mood darkened as their fearless leader slipped in through the back door. He was frowning and rubbing the back of his head, interested in something from the hallway. He wandered over to Shirayuki’s desk.

“Think you’ll be able to work on that article this weekend?”

“Is there something wrong?”

“Saw something I didn’t expect.”

Morioka shrugged gesturing to her.

“I know you only mentioned it yesterday, but do you think you could work with that track girl? Like how many girls are in the club, what events they compete in, hobbies, ideal man, that sort of stuff.”

“Just like that, huh?”

“It might be too much to have ready for our first issue, so I won’t push too hard. I’ll get to working on the pictures when you say things are okay.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t already.”

“I did a little snooping around the archery club but that was hazardous.”

Kurumu was not interested in his perverted adventures. She was well aware this guy had no issue peeping at girls. Any injuries he sustained were well deserved.

“Where is Moka?”

“She was downstairs. I think she may have taken my suggestion to interview Ms. Ishigami seriously, though she was… busy when I saw her.”

Morioka picked up a piece of the torn sheet on her desk. He flipped it open, glancing it over before setting it back down.

“Did you drop the spell?”

Nazohashi shook her head vehemently. He sighed.

“I knew that witch was trouble. Oh well. Guess I’ll have to try something else.”

“Senior. If it’s all the same, I would prefer to work on the paper.”

Morioka chuckled.

“No worries, Tora. I won’t trouble you any more with this. As the president, Tsukune is my responsibility.”

“So you’re going to keep causing him trouble.”

Morioka gripped the desk firmly and leaned in. He thrust his face in hers, looking her directly in the eye.

“Yes. And no spell of yours is going to stop that.”

Before she could think to charm him, he turned sharply to regard the back door. The familiar scent wafted through the air.

“Tsukune?”

Tsukune smiled weakly, glancing about the room. The little witch was latched about his waist, rubbing her cheek against his side.

“Tsukune!”

Kurumu stood up, slowly moving around the back of her chair. She saw the dazed look fill his eyes, her charms mixing emotions in his head. But she could not help it. She ran the last steps, leaping up in the air to capture his head in her arms. A jarring pain shot through her knee as it struck upon something solid and unforgiving. But she ignored the pain, cradling his face to her bosom as he staggered under her weight.

“That was my face, you idiot!”

Little fists ineffectively pounded on the small of her back. Annoyed with the runt, Kurumu let her tail loose. It quickly circled about the witch, yanking the flailing girl off her feet. With the nuisance neutralized, Kurumu rubbed her cheek against the top of his head while letting her toes settle back to the floor.

“Put me down!”

Kurumu did not care for reasons. All that mattered was he was here with her. She turned her face and lavished kisses upon his sweaty locks.

“Don't you be kissing him, you breast monster!”

For that, Kurumu held the girl higher off the floor. Taking a deep breath, she settled back on her heels. She heard him gasp as she bowed her head. Clutching his sides, she rested against his chest.

Morioka cleared his throat.

“It's about time you got here, Tsukune. What have you been working on this whole week? I take this club seriously so I expect some sort of story out of you by Monday.”

Tsukune stiffened.

“I'm sorry? What do you expect me to write?”

“Perhaps you could write about your first time in town. A personal piece like that would be different.”

“Kurumu.”

The brunette smiled as she started towards them. She paused, gesturing at the struggling witch.

“Care to let her down?”

Kurumu made an apologetic gesture to the witch. Wiggling her hips slightly, she managed to turn Yukari back upright. Gently setting the girl down, she loosened her grip. With the weight entirely gone, she drew her tail back to coil about her right leg. Yukari made an exaggerated display of straightening up her outfit.

“Thank you, Ms. Nazohashi. Some people around here have no manners.”

“That was an accident. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?! Look at my face! You flattened my nose in!”

Kurumu saw no difference other than how red the girl’s face was. Her eyes did look a bit puffy.

“So you can elongate your tail? That’s… different.”

“You don’t look that surprised that Tsukune is here.”

“I take it you were able to break my hold on him.”

Yukari crossed her arms about her tiny chest.

“Of course. I’m a genius.”

The brunette smiled.

“I’m going home. These past couple days have been tiring.”

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

She nodded to Morioka and headed for the door.

“Nazohashi. I know you only did this because you cared. I'm not mad at you.”

“You take care of yourself, Aono. Don’t let these girls drag you into too much trouble.”

Nazohashi slipped out of the room. After a few seconds of silence, Tsukune sighed.

“What did you do?”

“What?”

“I thought I told you not to hurt her.”

“I just twisted her arm a little bit.”

Morioka chuckled. He held his hands up.

“It must be nice having so many pretty girls fighting over you.”

“Don’t you start.”

He grinned.

“Oh, I haven’t yet.”

In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in the doorway leaning on the frame.

“I’ll be checking in on those twins you mentioned. I owe you that much.”

He vanished in the next breath, leaving Kurumu with a tinge of guilt. She had not spared a thought for the mermaid girls all day.

“What was that about?”

“Him? He’s playing detective.”

Kurumu hugged him. It felt so warm and comforting.

“So what happened? The bus was gone when we came back.”

“The bus? Oh, right. I was very confused when I came to. The driver thrust this huge sack in my hands and told me to deliver the mail to the dorms. I had no idea what was going on, and I couldn’t refuse.”

“Mail?”

“Yea. He kicked me off the bus and left for town. If it wasn’t for Yukari’s magic, I doubt I could have managed to carry that thing.”

“Naturally. Even a weakling like you can lift twice your body weight with the proper spell.”

“I think she enjoyed bossing me around. She kept canceling the power if I said anything she didn’t like.”

Kurumu frowned.

“It took you all afternoon?”

“It was a lot of mail.”

Kurumu heaved a sigh of relief. She tucked her head tighter against his chest, listening for his heartbeat.

“Kurumu?”

“For a minute. I've missed you so much.”

She breathed him in deeply, rubbing her cheek against his back. He was so warm and she could feel that lovely desire he held for her. She could stay like this forever.

“Get your hands off my servant!”

If it did not require letting go of him, Kurumu would have strangled that brat.


	20. Daughter of Lilith

Kurumu smiled at Tsukune as she sat on the edge of the washer. She could hear the hum of the machines spinning while Tsukune sat on one of the black chairs that hung out in this room. He was holding a magazine, flipping through the pages without any apparent interest.

She shifted on her perch, fluffing out her skirt. Even though her bottom was bare, the metallic surface did not bother her. Tugging the hem of her skirt well past her knees, she bit her lower lip as she watched him.

“Tsukune? Do you want me?”

He looked up from the page. His eyes possessed both warmth and firmness. Smiling he set the magazine aside and stood up. Without a shadow of doubt in his actions, Tsukune approached her.

His confidence commanded her. Acting as she felt he desired, she drew her skirt up to her waist and parted her knees. She swallowed as he stopped just out of her reach. She could feel his eyes inspecting her nethers.

“Tsukune?”

He did not respond. He continued to examine her from afar, causing her whole body to become flush with anxiety. Unsure of what she should do, she released her skirt and moved her fingers to her blouse. Methodically she unbuttoned the garment, drawing the sides apart so that her unsupported breasts were bared for him.

But Tsukune did not take interest in her tits. He stepped closer, placing one warm palm on her side as the other wandered up her inner thigh. She shivered, looking to the door as fingertips touched upon her curls.

She gasped as those digits found a sensitive spot. She reached for his torso, intent on pulling him close. But his body lowered and his head dipped below the hem of her drawn skirt. Her hands gripped the metallic edge fiercely for support as her virgin body tingled with foreign pleasure.

Kurumu could not begin to describe what he was doing. It was simply wonderful. He instinctively knew exactly what stimulated her. After a few seconds, all she could manage was holding onto the locks of his hair. She could feel her juices flowing for him. Her body was ripe for the taking.

But as seconds dragged out into an eternity, she dimly was aware this could not be right. She wanted so badly to have sex with him, but was this safe? Her body craved for his penetration, but how did this happen?

Unable to come to grips with the fantasy, Kurumu groaned into her pillow. She balled a hand into a small fist and weakly rapped her frustration upon her futon. It was not fair to torment her with such delectable dreams. With a sigh, she lifted her head up and rested her chin upon the familiar spongy surface she had owned these past four years.

She flexed her wings noting the dull ache. She had removed the splint last night in order to shower for the first time since Wednesday morning. Maybe. She might have showered Thursday night but she still had no recollection of that. Whatever. She doubted the splint had helped at all, since it had only taken a little more than a day for her last broken wing to heal.

At least her dream had been correct about one thing. She was very moist between the thighs. She never quite understood how she could dream herself into this agitated state without intentional stimulation. She was sorely tempted to finish things off.

She picked up the clock, noting she was up only a few minutes ahead of the alarm. Gnawing on her lower lip, she drifted her other hand down her torso.

It took less than a minute. She did not try to suppress her raspy breaths once she hit her pleasure threshold. She left her fingers there as her butt wiggled with the twitching of her thighs. Her body started to relax with an oppressive urge to slip back into the comfort of sleep.

This was bad. The third time this week. How could she be dangerous to him with urges like this? Perhaps enslaving men was a natural tool to keep a protector… no, that felt wrong. If it was meant to secure a stable family unit, it would work on males of other species. And considering she was much stronger physically, she doubted any human male would be needed as a protector.

Nutritional value had been one of the reasons for Jorougumo mating preferences, thought that made sense for an arachnid. Kurumu could not imagine pregnancy driving her so senseless that devouring Tsukune would become natural. Sure, she had no objection putting some things of his in her mouth… calm down. Her heart was doing cartwheels.

She dragged her hand out from beneath her. Her fingers reeked of sex. Her body was probably pumping out the scent of a wild animal in heat. She briefly thought of taking another shower, though the sudden buzz of her alarm declared otherwise. She groaned.

Reluctantly she got up from her futon. Wiping her fingers on her stained shorts, she stifled a yawn. It was a good thing she had slept without a sheet, else it would have required washing. She might need a freshener for her futon since there was no way she wanted to explain that to Moka.

She had not seen the vampire last night. It had felt off since she had expected Moka to walk home with them. After helping Tsukune wrap up what felt like a good rough draft of how scary dorm life had been for him, they had checked with Ms. Ishigami about Moka. For some reason the vampire had already left for home and did not join them for dinner.

Opening her closet door, Kurumu seized up one of her faded, black towels. Already planning to do laundry tonight, she wiped down her hands better. Tugging her shorts down, she wiped away the unwanted residue that touched her thighs. Momentarily dry, she stepped one foot out of her shorts while kicking them up with her heel to grab with ease. Balling the shorts up with the towel, she tossed both into the open hamper nearby.

With a mild grimace, she drew her wings in while retrieving a pastel green tank top from its hanger. Slinging it over her shoulder, she retrieved a bra from her lingerie drawer. Without much thought she had the bland, white thing wrapped about and clasped together in the front in seconds. Tucking her breasts comfortably into those pockets, she quickly slipped into her green top. It always looked weird to have two sets of straps, but there was not a strapless in creation that could contain these girls.

She pulled out the other boyshort panties she had picked up last weekend. This one was lavender with the white dots and a hem trimmed with pink lace. As she slipped into the comfortable cottons, she noted how empty her dirty hamper was. With the new uniform acquisition, she could make it through a week once again.

She sighed, knowing her laundry encounters would end up once a week now that Tsukune’s parents had mailed him some spending money. Hoping she might have some answers from Ms. Nekonome, she had pushed for him to do his laundry tonight. She hoped it would be good news, which could justify a reenactment of that delicious dream.

On a whim, she grabbed one of her school skirts. Sure, jeans or shorts might be a better match for her tank top, but her heart fluttered at the thoughts of convenience this skirt offered. The green and tan sort of matched and it would not look too awkward if she left it untucked.

She paused, holding her closet door. Decisively she grabbed up a blouse. They probably would require proper school attire. She sighed, working the buttons and slipping it over the tank top. She could always take it off afterwards.

Fully dressed, she grabbed a pair of socks, shoes and the rest of her essential things before stepping out of her apartment. There was a slight difference in the hallway air. Kurumu figured she should air out her room tonight. She pushed the button for the elevator, tucking her keys in her school bag while she waited.

“Hold up.”

Kurumu glanced back at a girl exiting the apartment adjacent to hers. She had noticed the girl on occasion but had not realized this was one of her immediate neighbors. To her knowledge, the girl had never interacted with anyone. Also dressed for school, Kurumu surmised she was another burdened with remedial lessons.

This girl was the short one that always wore the glasses with the thick band wrapped around her grimy, dark locks. The elevator made a slight ding as it arrived at their level, the doors slowly drawing apart. Kurumu noted there was already a familiar occupant inside as she stepped across the steel lines that marked the floor. There was no need to hold the door as her neighbor quickly joined them.

The girl stepped up next to her and flashed a grin. She had a black, tarlike streak across her nose and cheek well below the rim of her thick glasses. Though it could be a mere matter of posture, Kurumu wondered if she might be taller than this one.

As the door grinded back shut, there was no doubt over the identity of the other girl. Kakeru was from Kagome’s class and was one of the tallest girls Kurumu had seen on campus. While most her platinum white hair was cut short, she had a long tail bound at the nape of her which stretched down to the hem of her skirt. She was thin with barely enough curves to be identified as a woman, yet Kurumu thought she was pretty in a majestic sense.

“It’s Kurono, right?”

Kurumu smiled and nodded at her neighbor as the elevator started the slow descent.

“Fukai Ishiko. I hope I didn't bother you the other day.”

“Bother me?”

“Tsuchiyama gave me a ballad. It's not my fault the walls are guaranteed.”

Kurumu thought the name was vaguely familiar. It probably belonged to one of the Kagome girls that lived on her floor. She knew there was at least two.

“It’s no trouble.”

“That’s good. The creation process never runs exaggerated. Explosions are invisible.”

Kurumu frowned. She felt like this girl was mispronouncing some words.

“Explosions?”

“It took a whole hour to air out that urine.”

There was no way to respond to that. Kurumu glanced at Kakeru, though the tall girl was fixated on the door. A sharp ding announced their arrival on the fifth floor as their descent slowed to a stop.

As the door slowly opened, Kurumu smiled at the two girls waiting on the other side. For all the sleeping she did in class, Genzouyaki was usually punctual about getting to school. She was often at her desk when Kurumu arrived, though she rarely made it through the first class without putting her head down.

Kurumu had seen this other girl around. She was a little taller than them and had boyish short hair that barely covered her ears. She marched into the small square with her bag slung over her shoulder and one hand thrust in the pocket of her slacks. Having foregone the jacket, her posture and attire resembled Morioka’s.

“Oh, good morning, Chisa.”

Genzouyaki nodded with a smile to Kakeru. As far as Kurumu knew, Kakeru was the only other student Genzouyaki spoke with.

“Good morning, Kurumu.”

“Morning… Nerume.”

She smiled, thankful she got the name out. It felt awkward, since she knew so little about the girl, but she did not want to be rude.

“Kurumu?”

As the door closed behind the brunette, Genzouyaki smiled at the tall girl.

“Yes, you know Ms. Kurono. She’s in our gym class.”

“Uh… yeah.”

Kakeru glanced away, flustered.

“It's good to see your wing has healed up.”

As the elevator resumed their descent, Kurumu managed a smile, curious about Kakeru’s reaction. Did the girl have an issue with her? She hoped it would not become an issue, since she liked having a friend that was not interested in Tsukune.

“Sure. Still sore but fine.”

“This is Unari Satsuki, Ms. Akashiya's neighbor.”

For as much time as Kurumu had spent on Moka’s floor, she had never seen this girl there. Unari squinted her left eye as she regarded Genzouyaki. Her black pupil was cut like a vertical slit on a field of marigold.

“That's a weird way to introduce someone.”

“Well, Kurumu is a good friend of hers, so it made sense.”

“Yea, whatever.”

Unari growled, tapping her foot impatiently. Triangular ears tufted with the same tawny locks surfaced on the sides of her head, wagging angrily.

“Why do we have to do this stupid stuff? I can't stand it.”

Kakeru’s soft pink eyes sparkled as she timidly held a hand out. Unari scowled at the door, oblivious to the fingers hovering near her head.

“I scored higher than three classmates that don't have to take these dumb classes. It's a foreign language. It's not like I plan to ever leave Japan.”

Kakeru snatched her hand back upon noting Kurumu’s attention.

“I agree. I gave up trying to melt that gibberish. My clubmates were humiliated that I failed a section of the test and demanded my angle.”

Genzouyaki frowned.

“Her angle?”

Kurumu smiled, assuming that was a pronunciation error.

“I think she meant resignation.”

“That’s what I said.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.”

Fukai adjusted her glasses further back on the bridge of her tiny nose.

“What for? The club had too many of us.”

“Too many members?”

“Too many of us. It might not be common knowledge, but my kind all tend to wear glasses with few exceptions.”

Kurumu found that unlikely. She knew there were several girls on their floor that wore glasses.

“I’m sure the staff meant well, but that’s not how we work. I’m not from their village and forcing me to live next to them won’t change that. I refuse to be a tofu.”

As the circle for the fourth floor lit up, Kurumu recalled Burumoto mentioning many of the soccer boys had been grouped together. So all the girls on her floor with glasses were the same kind? She wondered what sort of monster would require glasses.

“You know they’ll make you join another club.”

“You could join the astronomy club. It's kind of small but fun.”

Fukai touched her chin, absently smearing the tar about her cheek.

“That might be engaging. Have you the remains on a design for your shuttle?”

Unari and Genzouyaki shared a glance.

“Shuttle?”

“How else would you get out there? Technology on powered suits is far behind to consider alternate means.”

Genzouyaki waved her hand dismissively, chuckling.

“Oh, nothing like that. It’s mostly stargazing.”

“Sounds dreadful. I would prefer something more interactive. I like to get my hands dirty.”

“I know what you mean. It surprises most people when I tell them I took shop. It’s not like it was restricted only to boys.”

Kurumu had noticed that elective back when she had made course selections. She did not see the appeal in tinkering with power tools to make things. Nobody was ever going to ask her to make a chair or weld a piece of pipe.

“A pity we must have different shop classes. I’m from class eleven with Mr. Gyousan.”

Unari grinned, her cattish ears perked up.

“Class two with Ms. Sunao.”

“So what club did you join?”

“Oh… well…”

Unari tittered.

“Did you try the Auto Club?”

“Yes. That is the club that I’m leaving.”

“Oh, right.”

The circle for the third floor lit up but the elevator did not make a sound. It looked like they would reach the ground floor without stopping. It was not uncommon trying to cram eight or more girls in one of these. Being a Saturday and only a little after seven helped.

“I’m sure you’ll find something.”

Kurumu smiled, having no intention of bringing up the Newspaper Club. She felt there would be no interest even if she did, but there was no reason to risk it. The club needed more boys, not girls.

“Have you considered a sport?”

Fukai scratched her head at Kakeru’s suggestion.

“I’m not sports. I like making things.”

“What about art?”

“There isn’t an art club.”

Genzouyaki drew back from Unari’s quick remark.

“Oh. I see.”

“Chemistry?”

Fukai made a disgusted expression.

“No thanks. Have you seen their membership? Not safe for any girl.”

Unari favored them with another nervous laugh before glancing up at the row of circles above the door. It was pointless since the second floor bubble never lit up even when it did stop.

“Perhaps you can ask Mr. Enjin?”

“He’s the Auto Club Advisor.”

“Well he might have suggestions for clubs you might like.”

“I will do so.”

Unari smiled. As her demeanor notably calmed, her ears gradually receded beneath her short locks.

“You could also ask Mr. Gyousan. I didn’t have any idea what club to pick either so I ended up going with something Ms. Sunao suggested.”

Aware how timid Ms. Sunao was, Kurumu surmised Unari would be embarrassed to share what club she ended up in.

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask Ms. Nekonome.”

“That flake? She did mention her Newspaper Club but I heard it only had one returning member. I figured it would end up disbanded.”

Given the tone of that response to Genzouyaki, Kurumu wondered if Unari had a personal grudge against the teacher.

“Unfortunately she convinced Moka to join and I couldn’t leave her alone with that guy. Our club president is kind of useless and a total lecher.”

Unari grinned.

“I heard him and your boyfriend were causing trouble with the girls.”

Kurumu smirked. If Morioka was tied to the incident, then the girls talking about this were leaving out his alibi.

“They were investigating over those missing girls. We think the count may be up to six with the disappearance of the Unabara twins.”

“So… you think that happened to those girls too?”

The door dinged as if in response to Kakeru, heralding their arrival on the ground floor. Kurumu wanted to believe they were missing in the same manner. She refused to accept his alternative explanation.

“I hope you find Ms. Kinzoku. She was the only other girl in my Shop class, so I really noticed it when she was gone.”

“Unari.”

“Ugh. Real mood killer.”

Unari was first out the elevator when it finally opened. Feeling guilty for the change in atmosphere, Kurumu quietly fell in step with Genzouyaki as they made their way to the lockers in the foyer. Since all of them had come from the top three floors, all of their lockers were on the same side.

“We should eat breakfast together.”

Kurumu wondered if she should consider using her locker. Sitting down on the small recess, she set her shoes beside her and started pulling on her socks. It was not like any of the girls thus far had shown an interest in causing her trouble.

“I will have to yellow.”

Fukai lifted her foot to put on her shoe. With the black slipper on, she placed her foot back down and proceeded to do the other.

“Mr. Gyousan demanded my presence at seven.”

“But it’s already past seven.”

“I failed to change the setting on my alarm. I’m normally not up this early.”

Kurumu smiled as Genzouyaki took a seat next to her. She slipped on her shoes as Unari joined them.

“I’ll see you guys later.”

Kurumu stopped to offer a wave to Fukai. The girl grinned, pushing back her glasses without minding the black streak at all. She wondered if they should have said something about it as the girl walked out the entry doors into the hazy morning beyond.

“What a strange girl.”

“It’s rude to talk about a girl behind her back.”

Kurumu smiled, getting up. She walked over to the entryway, flashing her card to open the door. The fan kicked on as the door parted for her.

“You think she’ll find a club?”

“There are so many clubs in this school.”

That was true. It would not surprise her if every teacher was an advisor for at least one club, considering it only took four students to form one.

She started off for Kurai in step with Genzouyaki and Unari. For some odd reason Kakeru was content to remain a half step behind them. Kurumu could not decide if this was creepy or excessively shy.

Unari and Genzouyaki kept up their conversation, though it transitioned from Fukai to short girl problems. Though she was taller, it was not like Unari was even in Moka’s range, so she would have issues getting to things on top shelves and the like. Kurumu could easily imagine the trouble of having every guy in shop class wanting to help the short girl out. It was not a matter of Unari being a cute girl as much as being the only girl.

While she knew this was a topic she could easily engage in, Kurumu held back because she wondered what might be going through Kakeru’s head. The only other girl that tall was Taijin from Home Economics, whom had been delegated to top shelf duty over a week ago.

Realizing they had traveled more than half the distance to the dining hall, Kurumu impulsively touched Unari’s shoulder.

“So you two are friends?”

“Huh? I guess.”

Genzouyaki smiled.

“We’re both from the same Junior High, though I didn’t know she was going to come to Yokai Academy.”

“It’s not like we talked much before coming here. But she’s the only familiar face on campus for me.”

That felt off. She would have sworn Kakeru was familiar with Genzouyaki given how she had noticed their interactions in gym last week.

“Then what about her?”

“What about her?”

“Chisa’s an old friend. My family used to live in her town up until the fourth grade. We kept in touch. When I told her that I was interested in coming to Yokai, she agreed to apply.”

Kurumu smiled, content with that explanation.

“She doesn’t talk that much.”

“It’s even more impolite to talk about a girl like that to her face.”

Kakeru waved both hands dismissively.

“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind.”

“She’s eaten with us several times and it’s always the same.”

“Chisa’s shy.”

Unari shrugged as they reached the dining hall. Grabbing the handle, she pulled the door open for them.

“Did you know your boyfriend before coming here?”

Kurumu paused at the door, surprised with Unari’s inquiry.

“I… no.”

“Oh, so did he know Akashiya?”

“No!”

Knowing she could not linger in the doorway, Kurumu stepped inside. There were several students milling about the place, though not nearly as bad as the weekdays.

“I think they’re both like me. I don’t know if anyone from my Junior High applied to this school.”

Unari grinned mischievously.

“A bunch of orphans banding together. I heard from Deshi that Nazohashi and Sendou are the same.”

Kurumu had never thought of the Newspaper Club in such a fashion. Was it strange for that to happen? While she knew about a few students having known associates and friends in school, she had assumed that to be more of an exception than normal.

“Does Yokai have a Junior High that feeds in?”

Unari glanced at Genzouyaki and shrugged. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she started off for the end of the breakfast line. Without a thought, Kurumu fell in step behind her.

“Didn’t you read the brochure?”

“I, uh, was enrolled by my mother. I only looked at the courses offered.”

“Yokai Academy is Niigata’s prefectural high school. I would think more than half our students here are from the local junior highs.”

“Wouldn’t that mean a lot of these students would know each other?”

“Maybe. But it’s not like Niigata is a small prefecture where everyone would know each other. We could be talking about ten different junior highs.”

Genzouyaki touched her arm and smiled.

“These two are the only ones I know in this school, though Chisa did mention Ms. Goto a couple times in our letters.”

“Goto?”

“Her neighbor. She’s the only other one from her school. I often eat breakfast with them.”

“Bad luck for her though. She came all this way to keep Kakeru company and got thrown in a class that doesn’t even share elective periods.”

“Elective periods?”

“Yea. Half the freshmen class have their electives seventh period instead of sixth. Poor Goto. She went through the trouble of taking an Art class with no natural abilities.”

Kurumu was confused. There were so many girls on the field during gym class that she had naturally assumed the entire freshmen class was present. It made no sense for that many girls to be half her grade. Sure, math was not a strength of hers but she hoped she could at least count. Not that she had actually bothered to count but there was just no way.

“Wait, art? Does that mean you are in the same Art class as Tsukune?”

Genzouyaki giggled as they settled in at the end of the line.

“We both are. Oh, I guess I didn’t mention that.”

Kurumu smiled, feeling a little guilty for not asking. But as she thought about it, there had only been that one extended time earlier this week. It was not like they could talk about everything in one sitting.

This new information made her feel much better. Genzouyaki had so readily accepted her claim on Tsukune. That had to mean Moka and Tsukune were not blatantly an item to those taking Art.

“I swear the only reason why I’m here is because our school didn’t take English seriously.”

Kurumu grinned, pleased with the subject change.

“Ms. Nekonome mentioned it was a common failing point.”

“Maybe they need to lower the standard.”

Genzouyaki chuckled.

“They can’t do that. They want to emulate a human high school.”

“I know, I know. I’m starving.”

Unari patted her flat stomach for emphasis.

“At least the line moves faster.”

“I’d rather sleep in.”

There were many things Kurumu would rather do, but sleeping was not one of them. She wondered what Tsukune was doing. He had said something about spending time with Moka, considering how things turned out last night.

“You know with all her carrying on about how popular and smart you are, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“It’s annoying. You better be here because you failed a test since I can’t see how you would think this is emotional support.”

Kakeru winced.

“I’m… sorry.”

Genzouyaki waved a hand dismissively.

“Chisa’s too embarrassed to tell Goto. She actually scored lower than me.”

“Lower than you? She must have really bombed.”

Kurumu laughed, not wanting to know what Unari would think about her score.

“I froze up. There was so much on the English section I didn’t understand. Before I knew it, they were calling for the tests to be handed in.”

“It’s times like that where you go with your gut.”

“But you failed the English assessment too.”

Unari snatched up a tray and brandished it at the smaller girl.

“Shut it. I barely missed the cut off point. That brat had her fun rubbing it in my face about being the highest ranked student to take remedial classes.”

Kurumu frowned at the remark, grabbing her own tray as they continued down the serving line. It looked like they were being served the standard meal. There was zero creativity from this staff.

“Are you talking about Yukari?”

“Yea. That witch girl never has a problem flaunting her superiority.”

Kurumu nodded. Yukari was a difficult personality to understand. There was no doubt she was smart, but she was real bad at dealing with others.

“Well, she’s a kid.”

“She’s annoying. I don’t know why you guys agreed to take her in.”

Kurumu shrugged. It was not like she had a say in the matter and she imagined Morioka already regretted the decision. Even if he tried to kick the witch out at this point, there was no way she could get behind it.

“Well, we helped her out of a problem with your class representative.”

“Highly instigated by her big mouth.”

Kurumu smirked as they started over to the cashier.

“It doesn’t take four guys to handle a little girl.”

“Yea, Deshi told us about that the other day. The class decided to demote Wanibuchi since he couldn’t handle her. We put Ichida in his place. At least Ichida is smart enough not to get riled up by her antics.”

“Hopefully she won’t cause any more trouble.”

After paying for their meals and acquiring drinks, the four of them wandered over to an empty table and sat down. While many of the students were dressed for school, she did note several were not. It was a little early for casual diners, but there was a closing time for breakfast services.

As she picked at her rice, she wondered how many were going to clubs. It was not like clubs would reschedule around poor academic behavior. Both Burumoto and Tamaishi were on strict orders to get their grades up by midterms.

“When do you think your club will put out a paper?”

Kurumu favored Unari with a smile.

“I don’t really know. I think in a week or two.”

Unari poked at her rice.

“You guys aren’t going to write something about the missing girls. You should probably leave stuff like that for the faculty.”

Kurumu sighed. She could not tell how serious Morioka was about that. It did not seem like the sort of article he could force on Nazohashi, but it was hard to say what she would be willing to do for him. Regardless of who ended up doing it, Kurumu knew there would be consequences with the faculty and possibly the student police.

“Right now we are working on separate articles. Tsukune has something about being new to a school away from home and I think Moka is doing an interview with Ms. Ishigami.”

“What about you?”

“I think I’m supposed to do a piece on the girls’ track team.”

“Chisa could help you with that. She may not look like it, but Chisa was a star athlete in Junior High. Ms. Kibashiro has high hopes for the team.”

Kakeru cringed.

“Not really.”

“You’re on the track team?”

She felt silly after asking it. Of course such a tall girl would be on the track team. They did say she had been popular and that normally did not happen on looks alone.

“… yes.”

“What do you plan to write about?”

Kurumu sighed dramatically.

“I have no idea. Shindou was interested in having individual highlights for each girl, but that could take forever. Sure, our president didn’t object, but he only wants a reason to take a bunch of pictures of girls.”

Unari snickered before pointing a utensil at Kakeru.

“How many girls are in track?”

“I… uh… maybe forty.”

Kurumu grimaced. That was way more than she had anticipated.

“They would have to be small portraits.”

Genzouyaki chuckled.

“You should ask Ms. Kibashiro what would be appropriate. It is her team.”

That sounded much better than trying to tackle forty some odd interviews. If she dressed quick enough for gym, she could probably sneak a few words in with the coach before the routine stretches.

“Well since she’s here, you could try coming up with a few things to write about her.”

“Me? I couldn’t.”

Kakeru waved her hands defensively. It was weird witnessing such a statuesque girl behaving so timidly. It certainly was not the impression Kurumu had got watching the girl in gym. She sighed again.

“What would I even ask?”

“Well, you’re doing it because they are in track, right? Maybe you should form questions on that premise.”

“Exactly. What sort of events she competes in. Any past accomplishments worthy of mention. Goals and aspirations for the year. That stuff.”

Kurumu grimaced, wondering if everyone else would do this better.

“Maybe you could do the article for me.”

The two girls laughed, shaking their heads. With a reluctant smile, she fumbled with her schoolbag for a moment to retrieve a pad of paper.

* * *

“Please don’t mind the mess.”

This was a small apartment. The open door on the right belonged to a tiny bathroom that only featured a shower stall and commode. It was so small that the door had to open out. On her left was a line of cabinets interrupted by a two element stove and one compartment sink. The marble counter turned on the adjacent wall only a meter or so before ending with the refrigerator. There was a small island dividing the kitchen from the rest of the apartment, though the counter was littered with an assortment of leftover takeout boxes, trash scraps, open mail and disorganized papers.

Trying not to make a face, Kurumu wandered off into the other side while Ms. Nekonome made the effort to tidy up the counter. The main room had a small entertainment center with a television on top in the far left corner and a couple sliding doors on her right, which were probably closets. The futon was likely stowed away in one of them, so Ms. Nekonome at least made that effort.

Ms. Nekonome had insisted on treating her with lunch after remedial lessons. It had been embarrassing to ride in tandem on the bicycle, though it was not her first time. She had given up that experience to Takada long ago. Still the lunch was much better than what she could expect from the cafeteria or Kurai. Knowing the topic should be handled in privacy, Ms. Nekonome had brought Kurumu over to her apartment complex.

Kurumu had not thought much about the faculty living arrangements. She knew there were other dorms for seniors and juniors which had their own dining halls. That was part of the reason why she felt the school handled the lunch so poorly. Then again she had been wrong about gym so it was possible she was wrong about lunch. It was not like she could tell an upperclassmen from a freshmen. There was no different tie color to easily differentiate. She would feel too embarrassed to ask for clarification at this point.

A small part of her had thought the teachers lived on campus, though this also made sense. She suspected this town only existed for the Academy.

“Please take off your shoes.”

Ignoring the counters and the small table that was explicitly positioned for watching the television, the room was somewhat clean. Deciding her feet were in no danger, Kurumu methodically removed her shoes. She handed them off to her host, noting Ms. Nekonome was not making much process with the mess.

Other than the unexpected presence of Tobuyoku, there had been nothing interesting about remedial lessons. As promised, Ms. Nekonome had focused the material on English. Four hours of foreign language was mind numbing.

In the half hour break Ms. Nekonome had allowed them, Kurumu had decided to talk to Tobuyoku and Hanetsume. During Kakeru’s interrogation she had learned this duo was part of the track team. They were initially reluctant, but the girls politely answered the short list of things she had decided workable during breakfast. While the two were not related, they had been paired during the first week because they shared the same homeroom. Kurumu did feel a little envious that Tobuyoku had come purely for the sake of keeping company with Hanetsume. It would have been nice if Tsukune or Moka had come.

Athletic teams forming pairs was not uncommon. She was already aware that Burumoto had not known Tamaishi prior to soccer practice and that the two were supposed to be looking out for each other. He still had to bring up that cheerleader outfit, which had helped break the ice with the other girls.

A month ago she would never had imagined things going so well. Everyone was so polite and accepting. Sure there would be small groups like the lizards that bullied Yukari or Hiboshi’s band of lackeys that might reject her. But there were so many other small groups like Genzouyaki’s friends that would casually dismiss the prejudices that had isolated her all throughout Junior High. Enrolling here had possibly been the best decision her mother had ever forced upon her.

“I’m sorry. I also cry sometimes at how much a mess this is.”

Kurumu wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. She felt so embarrassed.

“So… uh. You live alone?”

“For the time being.”

Ms. Nekonome smiled, leaning down to apprehend a framed portrait that had been surrounded by empty beer cans and dirty dishes. Offering it to Kurumu, the teacher knelt down and started gathering up the dishes.

There was nothing remarkable about the man in the picture. He was the typical man with short black hair and brown eyes. He was gussied up in a grey suit over a white dress shirt, wearing that generic smile reserved for obligatory picture taking.

“Who’s this?”

There was a slight clatter as Ms. Nekonome set the dishes in the sink. She turned on the water.

“My fiancé.”

Kurumu almost gagged. This ordinary guy was dating her teacher? Surely this was some kind of joke. Normally people kept pictures with their significant other. Still, she supposed it was remotely possible and it would be very rude if she did not at least play along.

“He’s… nice. Is he a teacher?”

That would explain the awkward pose. It was normal for faculty to have their pictures taken with the students.

“He’s a doctor.”

“Oh.”

That put a whole new spin on her assessment.

“So he works at the hospital?”

Ms. Nekonome laughed over the running water.

“Oh no. He works in Niigata Prefectural. He is human, after all.”

Kurumu smiled at the flippant delivery. She vaguely recalled the introductory speech that had made Tsukune nervous.

“So if he found his way onto campus, you’d have to eat him?”

“I certainly might if he saw this mess.”

Kurumu chuckled, setting the portrait back on the table. Having little else to do, she gathered up some of the cans.

“So does he know you aren’t human?”

Ms. Nekonome set aside a clean dish on a yellow, plastic rack beside the sink. She gestured at the white wastebasket pushed up against the island.

“He is aware.”

Emptying her armful of cans, Kurumu regarded the remnants on the counter. Her teacher had already disposed of all the obvious garbage items. Kurumu noted a familiar notebook half buried in the mail. It was the one she had seen on Ms. Nekonome’s desk on the first day.

“And he is fine with it?”

Ms. Nekonome giggled.

“Fascinated. I mean, it’s not like I blabbed about it when we met. He was so… persistent. It’s hard to have a meaningful relationship with a human without them finding out.”

Kurumu smiled, cautiously grabbing the notebook. It was hard to imagine Ms. Nekonome keeping her form a secret, considering her tail had popped out in her sudden enthusiasm.

“We’ve been dating for years. After graduating from Yokai, I decided to take things a step further and apply for university. I tried my best to keep a low profile while earning a degree in education. It was lonely, but I really wanted to come back as a teacher for Yokai. I felt like I had to give something back after getting so much here.”

Nazohashi was right. Stuffed in the side pocket was a few student dossiers. Conveniently in alphabetical order, Moka’s was on top. Her Junior High and Grade Schools were listed, along with a list of known relatives. She noted Gyokuro Shuzen was identified as an adopted parent while Akasha Bloodriver was penciled in as the biological parent. There was nothing that explicitly identified Moka as a vampire so she may not have lied about Saizou.

“He approached me in the fall of my last year. I guess he had been watching me for a long time. It caught me off guard.”

Kurumu grinned, looking up.

“Blackmail?”

“Being wanted. It’s not like a Nekomusume will be all that popular in Yokai. While I understand the push to keep true forms secretive to reduce bullying and discourage segregation, it makes things difficult finding a suitable mate during a prime time for looking for one.”

Ms. Nekonome picked up a nearby towel, drying off her hands after cutting the water flow. She turned about with a slight smile.

“I couldn’t turn down his advances.”

Kurumu laughed nervously, closing the notebook.

“So uh… is it normal to be with a human?”

“More so for some of us. The issue always is more about how the human handles being with us. My fiancé has been amazingly considerate in keeping his curiosity in check.”

“He wasn’t scared?”

Her teacher blushed.

“Considering he figured it out while we were… well… I’d say it was remarkably convenient for him. You’d be surprised what sort of things arouse men.”

Kurumu felt her own temperature rise at the thought of someone fawning over her wings or tail.

“I know my parents will be a little disappointed. For our kind, human mating has a way of thinning the monster line. One of my grandfathers was human, so there is a slight chance of having human children.”

Kurumu fidgeted with the notebook, wondering if she should hand it over. She wanted to look at Tsukune’s file, though she suspected it would not say anything relevant. She already had his contact information so knowing the names of his relatives and schools would not matter that much. It was not like his file would identify him as human which had her wonder if Ms. Nekonome actually knew anything or not. She hoped this information about a human fiancé was not the secret subject Ms. Nekonome had put off sharing.

“Uh… Ms. Nekonome. About Tsukune.”

“I’m glad the trouble with Ms. Nazohashi cleared up. Silly thing. It must have been exhausting putting up such a large barrier like that.”

“Yea.”

“Which bothers you more? The fact that he’s human or that you’re a succubus?”

Kurumu clutched the notebook tighter. She supposed it did not matter how Ms. Nekonome knew about Tsukune’s humanity.

“Why is a human in our school?”

Ms. Nekonome grabbed the top of the notebook, tugging gently. Relinquishing the item, Kurumu let her hands fall to her sides as the teacher flipped the notebook open.

“I wondered that myself. The headmaster specifically assigned Mr. Aono to my class, telling me to watch over this human. After my little speech on the first day, I got the distinct impression that Mr. Aono was unaware of the true nature of the school.”

“Didn’t you think it irresponsible to frighten him like that?”

“I didn’t realize he didn’t know. I was at a loss over what to do after that. I gave his file to my fiancé to see what he could find out. But Tsukune’s section about lineage is much longer than normal. It reaches back to the Edo period, so the records are impossible to verify. As far as I can tell, he has nothing but human ancestors.”

Kurumu paused.

“You thought he might have a monster ancestor?”

“Yes. I’m positive one of the first names mentioned in his lineage must be of monster origin. As some monsters are practically eternal, it could even be an alias of one of the faculty.”

“Did you speak with the headmaster about it?”

“I did but he only seemed interested in having Mr. Aono join my failing Newspaper Club.”

“Why would he push for that?”

“Well… I found out Mr. Aono was not the first human admitted to this school in recent years. The headmaster has brought in other humans. Often it is a student fully aware of the situation, though he admitted there have been others simply brought in because they had nowhere else to go.”

Kurumu grimaced.

“Like I would believe that.”

“I don’t. But that’s not the point. It turns out Mr. Morioka was not alone when he came to this school. Poor kid vanished within the first month and nobody thought a thing about it.”

“That’s… not right.”

“We all thought Mr. Morioka’s antics were typical alpha male behavior. He quit his club and randomly picked fights. It took a couple concerned students to rein him in before he became the cameraman for my Newspaper Club.”

“How long has he known?”

Ms. Nekonome sighed.

“I avoided telling him anything, even when he asked earlier this week. But that barrier was a real eye opener for me. I didn’t know he would take things that direction.”

Kurumu was not surprised. Morioka was a coward that dodged responsibility. Running away and causing trouble were the only things he was good for.

“I wish I could tell you more, but that’s all I know. The headmaster has reasons for Mr. Aono being here and is relying on human friendly monsters such as Mr. Morioka and myself to watch over him. It would not surprise me if some of the other faculty know about this as well.”

Kurumu sighed, having many more questions about this situation. What purpose could Tsukune have being here other than education? Did this have something to do with his unique ability to break Moka’s seal? After all, other than being human, that was the only glaring fact that stood out. She scowled at the possibility of Tsukune being thrust into danger for Moka’s sake.

“You look distressed.”

“I… it’s nothing.”

“You’re probably worried about what this means for you.”

Kurumu nodded.

“Do you know the story of Lilith?”

Kurumu recalled Yukari mentioning the name yesterday. She shook her head.

“In human folklore, Lilith was created by God to be Adam’s partner. But Lilith rejected this notion. She abandoned the Garden of Eden to escape the unwanted duty of Adam’s wife.”

“Garden of Eden?”

“These are Christian things from the Western world.”

“But I’m from Japan.”

“So is Ms. Nazohashi and yet her roots are from the same area. Human mythology often miss the mark of actual fact, but the monster race have not exactly tried to author our origins. Even if we devised our own language, texts of such nature could be dangerous in the wrong hands.”

Kurumu frowned, though she saw no reason to argue that point. It was not like she knew her grandparents or any relatives, so her nativity claim was shaky.

“As I was saying, Lilith fled her duty. Recognizing his error, God created Eve from Adam’s body. As she was part of him, she naturally served him. They lived as partners for ages until the time came when Eve was tricked by the serpent to eat of the forbidden fruit and in turn convinced her husband to do the same. As punishment, God kicked the couple out of Eden while granting Death dominion over them.”

“What does this have to do with Lilith?”

“Well, you see Lilith was never cursed by God. She remained eternal. But as centuries passed, she witnessed how the descendants of Adam and Eve lived. Eventually becoming lonely, she longed for a companion.”

Kurumu frowned. She felt like this lengthy explanation was not helping.

“Okay, but what does this have to do with me?”

Ms. Nekonome huffed.

“I’m telling you about your origins. You clearly don’t know the first thing about being a succubus if you don’t even know about Lilith.”

“Well my mother didn’t feel like telling me anything she didn’t have to.”

“That sounds like her. Always putting things off until she absolutely had to deal with it. She probably thought you would never come across a human while enrolled in Yokai.”

“Yea, well, whatever.”

Her teacher giggled, setting the notebook aside.

“Anyways, Lilith quickly found out that she had a natural charm over mortal men. This was God’s gift to her. She would always be desirable and wanted. But childbirth was the price of mortality. No matter how many partners she took to her bed, Lilith remained barren.”

Ms. Nekonome touched her cheek.

“Would you care for some tea?”

“I… uh, yea.”

Kurumu sighed as her teacher turned back to the sink and retrieved a nearby kettle. Ms. Nekonome turned on the water to fill up the container.

“Lilith tried turning to the God she had forsaken, but could not find her way back to Eden. But she was able to find the serpent. The serpent suggested Lilith make a pact with Death. Frightened at what such a being would demand, Lilith reluctantly agreed to a meeting.”

Placing the full kettle on the stove, Ms. Nekonome turned off the faucet. Switching the element on, the teacher lifted up on her toes to reach something in the upper cabinet. She settled back down with a couple packets, giving Kurumu a good estimate of the quality of tea she should expect.

“Sure enough, Death was an intimidating character. He granted Lilith the privilege of bearing children on the condition of their mortality. And when she agreed, her children became cursed.”

“Cursed?”

“Yes. You see, I skipped a part. When Lilith first went to Death with her demands, he agreed to couple with her. They had several sons together, whom became the race you would know as Incubus. But she tired of sons and longed for a daughter. It was a demand Death could not fulfill.”

Ms. Nekonome smiled.

“It was simple jealousy. To have a daughter, Lilith had to couple with a human man. Death was furious at the notion, so he cursed her daughters with tragic mortality.”

Kurumu winced. That did not sound promising.

“It is uncertain what happened to Lilith. Death never had dominion over her. When her first daughter died of a broken heart… Lilith was never the same. She vanished from history, leaving her children behind.”

There was a long pause. Kurumu glanced about, wondering if Ms. Nekonome was expecting her to say something. She forced a smile, thinking her mother’s omission here was not that big of a deal.

“So… I take it her daughters are the Succubus.”

“Correct.”

It was not a question. That was the natural conclusion.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Nekonome. I don’t understand how that helps me. I guess I understand why Yukari called me a Daughter of Lilith, but what does it mean for my relationship with Tsukune?”

Ms. Nekonome paused. Her hand formed a fist as she looked down at the floor.

“Well, Ms. Kurono. Your race is not meant for happiness.”

“What?”

“You’re cursed. There’s nothing else to say about it.”

Kurumu grimaced. She could not accept that.

“So what about Tsukune? Are you saying I can’t be with him?”

“I’m saying you may want to consider that. It would be painful to watch you make the same mistakes.”

It was like the air had become so thick that breathing was painful.

“That’s not fair.”

“When are curses fair? You have to be cautious with Mr. Aono.”

This was so infuriating. What the hell was in Takada’s head to tell her only a human could give her what she needed? What was her mother thinking when she said to kiss one to make a slave? It was like nobody cared about the human she would end up with.

“Do you know what happened to my father?”

“… I do.”

Kurumu grit her teeth. She was not like her mother. She would not make the same mistakes.

“Did she kill him?”

“No.”

Kurumu looked up in shock.

“Your mother gave him up only a year after you were born. She tried so hard to keep him, but she knew she couldn’t. For everyone’s sake.”

“Then he’s alive?”

That pained smile was answer enough.

“Nobody blames her. Tsurara had the most reason to hate her for what she did, and even that didn’t last.”

“Tsurara?”

“Ms. Shirayuki’s mother. I doubt Ageha would have mentioned it, but your father was Tsurara’s husband.”

“What?”

Kurumu was already torn in so many directions that this revelation only focused her on anger. What the hell? She hated her mother so much right now. That was inexcusable.

“You’re probably confused. I mean, how can two girls fight over a human man while attending Yokai? And then for me to be surprised that a human was enrolled here, right?”

That shook her up.

“I know this might compromise Ms. Shirayuki’s true form, but the men of her village are all human. When they have children, daughters retain their monster heritage while the sons retain their humanity. Due to fertility reasons, daughters are married on their sixteenth birthday and strongly encouraged to procreate those first six years.”

“I… don’t understand.”

“What I mean to say is that none of us knew he was human. Even Ageha didn’t know that before she ran off with him. And Tsurara didn’t understand the complications of a succubus being with a human.”

“Wasn’t there obvious issues with him being married?”

“It was an arranged marriage. We all knew it annoyed Tsurara, but she often wavered on her claim over him. She hated how her marriage had been decided for her and refused to have a child with him. But she did love him.”

“That doesn’t change what she did.”

“Ageha believed he picked her over Tsurara. She swore on her life that she had not charmed him, not realizing she had already enslaved him. They disappeared over the winter break of our third year. Tsurara…”

Ms. Nekonome sighed.

“She didn’t take things so well. It was like all the fight in her died. I heard she was remarried shortly after graduation. Her new husband wasted no time as she gave birth to Mizore before the end of the calendar year.”

That was like pouring a bucket of ice water on a fire.

“I’m sure you realize you were conceived before the two vanished. No doubt that played a huge factor in Ageha’s decision.”

What could she really say? Her mother was stupid. From day one Kurumu had recognized Tsukune was not a normal monster. And there was no way she could ever justify taking a married man away from his wife.

“And it only lasted about a year and a half. Tsurara told me about it. How desperate Ageha had been. Of course Tsurara couldn’t take him back, though she did arrange for him to return to their village. He stayed with his family until the end.”

“So she did kill him.”

Ms. Nekonome placed a hand on Kurumu’s head.

“Don’t. That’s too cruel. He actually lived for several years. He’s only been gone for six.”

Tears crept at the corners of her eyes. All that time she had a father and not once had she been allowed to see him. That was not fair.

Kurumu stiffed as Ms. Nekonome suddenly embraced her. The hand on the back of her head pressed her cheek firmly against the teacher’s shoulder.

“Please. Please don’t tell Ageha. She doesn’t know. She can never know.”

The ferocity behind those words frightened her.

“Okay.”

“His heart was always hers. He couldn’t ever marry another. That’s the power you’ll hold over Mr. Aono. It’s a love that he won’t survive.”

That was not fair.

“So please. Please be careful, Kurumu.”

The kettle announced the water was ready.

* * *

If there was one thing Kurumu had learned to accept, it was life continued forward regardless of your emotional state. After some tea, Ms. Nekonome had calmed down enough to discuss what sort of boundaries should be set. That was really what Kurumu wanted to know, more than anything.

Unfortunately the teacher was little help in that regard. Naturally Ms. Nekonome discouraged intercourse of any fashion, and Kurumu was fine with that. She was in no hurry to have sex with Tsukune and those other forbidden things Ms. Nekonome had mentioned were too embarrassing to actually do. At least she finally knew what her former classmates had been giggling about when whispering things like fellatio and cunnilingus.

It was humiliating that her first official birds and bees talk had been forced out of her homeroom teacher. She had been spirited away before the human realm would teach her those things and the curriculum of monster education varied greatly from prefecture to prefecture. Most relied on parents to handle these delicate matters. She could not bring herself to admit most of her sexual education was built on rumors and sleazy videos.

It was not like Ms. Nekonome was a wealth of information, but somehow they had lost over four hours. Ms. Nekonome… Shizuka… would often allow the conversation to steer towards her absent fiancé. She would see him tomorrow. They had been engaged for over a decade. She was lonely.

Perhaps the most important revelation in that ceaseless rambling was the fact that her mother had kissed her father on multiple occasions over the course of three years of high school. While Ms. Nekonome would not vouch kissing was safe, she had agreed it did not make humans slaves. In her experience, the kissing worked like a very potent version of the charm, sometimes taking days to wear off. She could not recall if the kiss had become more potent over the course of time.

On a parting whim, Ms. Nekonome had recommended speaking with Ms. Sasayaki, one of the other first year science teachers. Unfortunately that suggestion was quickly followed with avoiding drinking anything offered and how that woman loved to experiment on unique monsters, so… maybe not.

Declining the offer for another awkward bike ride, Kurumu had taken her time walking back to the dorms. Not feeling hungry, Kurumu had opted out of dinner to get a soothing shower before seeing Tsukune tonight. She had slipped into a yellow tube top with the denim shorts she had worn last weekend, leaving the laundry behind as there was too little to bother with.

She was certain things would work out, even if it meant she had to be more cautious around Tsukune. She was smarter than her mother. As she made her way up the outside stair that flanked Chikara, she focused on the rhythm of her heartbeat. It helped calm the butterflies.

She could hear the faint sound of engines as she reached the fourth floor. She smiled as she noted the burly boy standing in Yamabato’s doorway. Tanboshi was staring intently at a black device in his hands which he was working with his pudgy thumbs. His nose was broad and flat like the tip of a snout. This was as close to a human nose as he ever managed.

She walked over to the glass door, pressing her palm against the warm surface. She smiled and offered a wave, though Tanboshi remained fixated on the thing in his hands. He had mentioned it during their visit last weekend, claiming it would replace the Game Boy.

Kurumu tapped on the glass. Tanboshi lifted his curly, black haired head up. His beady red eyes caught hers only a moment. She smiled again, closing her eyes to avoid any unnecessary reactions.

“Tsukune. Your girlfriend's here.”

Her heart fluttered at the declaration. She remembered Tsukune’s reluctance to clarify which was his girlfriend to his neighbors.

“Aono!”

“Just a second.”

She smiled at the sound of his voice over the purr of digital engines. She would guess they were playing some sort of racing game in Yamabato’s room, though she had not seen a console in there last weekend. That guy seemed pretty attached to human entertainment.

The door swung out with a rush of foul air. She reflexively covered her mouth and nose, doubting she would ever get used to this stench. Tanboshi grinned at her with his left lower tusk showing. The ivory dagger caressed up his cheek with a delicate point near the crook of his narrow eye. The music of the game for his portable device clutched in his free hand, carried on with a brisk tempo as she stepped inside the oppressive hall.

“Thanks, Tanboshi.”

“It was Kurono, right? You know, I’m fine being called Aku.”

Oh. He’s Aku. Kurumu nodded, keeping her breaths shallow.

“What game is that?”

“Oh. Meteos. Best game released on the DS by far.”

He held it up as he stepped beside her. He was notably taller than Tsukune while also being quite stout, but he had nothing on Burumoto. As she thought about it, Tanboshi had to be shorter than Kakeru.

Although she had not prompted him to, Tanboshi had resumed his gameplay. It looked like some variant of Tetris. She had no idea how organizing falling blocks could be considered fun.

“That’s cool. What’s Tsukune doing?”

“Eh, guy stuff.”

Kurumu walked over to Yamabato’s door, aware that Tanboshi had already succumbed to his addiction. His interest in her had receded much like turning down the flames of a burner. Not a soul looked up as she touched the frame.

Yamabato was seated behind a row of cards laid out on the floor. A tall boy with wavy black hair that touched his shoulders sat across from Yamabato. Unfortunately she knew this card game, since the rather unpopular boys from Junior High played it often.

“If either of you talk about the heart of the cards, I’m going to smack you.”

Yamabato smirked.

“You just activated my trap card.”

The other boy glanced over his shoulder as she stuck her tongue out. The nameless kid had long eyelashes and thick, puffy lips. With a shrug he returned his attention to his cards.

Tsukune was poised in front of the television beside another guy only slightly taller than him. They both held controllers and were moving with the cars on the split screen. She suppressed a giggle, wondering if that actually helped steer the cars.

“I didn’t know you had a gaming console.”

“It’s not mine. That’s Takoshine’s. He has a TV in his room, but mine happens to be the furthest away from Gomitsuro.”

Kurumu grinned, noting Yamabato had also drawn open his narrow window to allow some fresh air in. She was tempted to close the door behind her, but quickly thought better of shutting herself in with four teenage boys.

So this was Takoshine, the boy that vouched for Moka as the girlfriend. It was not that she had forgotten the guy, but more along the lines of wishing she had never met him. While the rest of these guys were dressed in black or white tee shirts, this scrawny kid preferred black leggings and a bright red shirt that bared his midriff. If imitating a girl was his objective he merely succeeded in being garish.

“So how was remedial lessons?”

“Aren’t you playing a game?”

Yamabato grinned, leaning back against the wall.

“I can’t very well play a game when a pretty girl walks in my room.”

Since when did every guy have such weak interest in her? This felt eerily similar to Burumoto’s banter. Had Yamabato already conceded she was someone else’s girlfriend? Or maybe he finally had figured out she was a succubus and felt a need to guard his heart.

“Sometimes it can be nice to go unnoticed.”

Not really. It used to hurt, but she did not feel the absence of desire as strongly now that Tsukune was in her life.

“You want to give it a rest, Tsukune?”

“Last lap.”

“What’s the point? You’re never going to catch me!”

And that voice was irritating. It was an odd mix of shrill and hiss when he was excited.

“I can still beat my last time.”

Kurumu smiled, noting Yamabato’s room had the same small niche that Tsukune’s had, only it was on the other wall. For some reason he had placed a baby blue pillow on the surface. She picked it up, squeezing it slightly.

“So what game is that?”

“Eh? Gran Turismo 4. It just came out last winter.”

“Oh.”

As promised, it only took a few seconds for Tsukune to finish the current race. He sighed, setting the controller next to the remote by the television.

“I wish I had brought my memory card.”

“Up for a game, Ren?”

The grinning Takoshine pranced over to the tall guy, holding the attached controller in one hand while grabbing the seated boy by the shoulder. It looked like Yamabato and the kid were poised for a match, but neither had attempted a turn since her arrival.

“Sure, I guess.”

With a grunt the tall kid got to his bared feet. He shambled over on those broad paddles to pick up the other controller. As the boy guided the cursor through the menus, Yamabato got up to purposely impose himself between her and Tsukune.

“Aku said you spent a night here this week. Any truth to that?”

Kurumu smirked, knowing Tsukune would never confirm something like that. Clutching the pillow to her chest, she turned up her nose.

“That’s not much your business, is it?”

“A guy can be a little jealous.”

“Jealous of what? I fell asleep and Tsukune decided not to wake me. It’s not like anything happened.”

“Damn, man. Is that right? How did you even sleep?”

Tsukune forced a weak smile, making no attempt to step around Yamabato.

“Eventually.”

“Ready to do laundry, Tsukune?”

“Oh, I did that after breakfast.”

Kurumu frowned.

“I thought you were going to spend your day with Moka.”

Tsukune scratched his head.

“Well… I didn’t see Moka all day. I thought I might have missed her and there was no way I could check up on her. Your housemother is creepy.”

That was without question. She had heard plenty of whispered comments on her floor over the girls trying to get guys inside the building. If rumors held any truth, trespassing was fatal. It had her wondering what sort of creature their nameless housemother was.

“So… did you not see her at lunch? Dinner?”

Tsukune shrugged.

“I didn’t see Tora either, so I hoped she might be out with her.”

She frowned. While that was a reasonable conclusion, she had her doubts about Nazohashi. Short of Morioka being with them, that girl would be too hesitant to make amends this quickly.

Was it possible that Moka felt guilty? Yukari had openly challenged Moka’s drinking of Tsukune’s blood. By now Moka would have either confessed the deception or conceded Tsukune would be told. It would make sense to avoid him. There also was the matter of the other Moka having expressed favor in Tsukune leaving. What if that demon had said other things to falter Moka?

“Maybe she backed off.”

Yamabato’s remark startled her. She shook her head vehemently.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It might work differently for girls, but if a friend of mine started dating a girl I liked… it would be difficult to be around either of them.”

Without a thought, Kurumu batted his head with the pillow.

“Hey, watch it.”

Even if that might mean good things for her, the timing was poor. She still wavered on what she could do. It hurt to feel this way. Moka fading away had never been an option. She smacked him with the pillow again.

“Hey, stop! You had to know she was interested in him.”

“Kamitsuku.”

Yamabato caught the pillow on her next attempt, yanking it out of her hands. Sighing, he placed a hand on her head.

“I’m not upset with you. But I haven't seen Akashiya here since last week.”

That strange kid made a cackling laugh.

“Look at Kamitsuku. Making a girl cry in his room.”

She did not want this. Why was every little thing breaking her down? She rubbed her eyes with the back of her forearm, turning away from them.

“I… sorry.”

“No worries, Kamitsuku.”

Tsukune forced a chuckle, timidly placing a hand on her shoulder. The simple touch soothed her to the point that her body would not tremble.

“Kurumu has been like this the past couple days. I don’t get it either.”

What?!

“I guess you’re right. Girls are so difficult.”

If she still had that pillow, she would have promptly whacked both of them.

“I’ll be going to my room now. Kurumu.”

He took her hand as he walked by her. The slight tug from his momentum broke her feet into a staggered shuffle.

“Good luck with that.”

The slight aura of vicarious desire made her body flush as she stepped out into the hall. She glanced over her shoulder, noting the envious grin on Yamabato’s face. He was not the only source, though the tall kid was hiding interest by paying attention to the first lap.

Leaning up against the glass door, Tanboshi offered a dismissive wave without tearing his attention from his game. It was only a couple doors down. Tsukune pulled her into his room, pausing only to close the door behind them. He drew the dead bolt to secure the door.

“I don’t know if they’ll try listening in or not.”

On impulse she hugged him, pressing her cheek against his back. The plain white shirt felt so warm and she loved his aroma. She could tell he must have showered not so long ago, aware that he used a lemon scented wash.

As he his hands touched her arms, she could feel his heartbeat quicken. Her body responded, urging her to rub up against him. In restraint, she tightened her grip about his torso. He tensed up.

“Kurumu”

“Sorry.”

“I… so soft.”

She giggled, rubbing an errant tear away by turning her other cheek to his back. She could tell he wanted her. Perhaps the only thing holding him back was knowing she was a succubus.

“Look at you. Getting along so well with a kappa.”

“Kappa?”

“Yamabato. I guess you didn’t know.”

Tsukune relaxed.

“Kamitsuku’s a nice guy.”

“You’re not scared?”

“I don’t know.”

He sighed.

“But being scared isn’t good. When I walked the school looking for clubs with Moka… I think my nervous attitude only made things worse.”

Kurumu recalled his reaction to Saizou’s remarks on the first day.

“It does draw attention.”

“I often think that played heavily against me with Ichinose.”

Kurumu released him to cross her arms about her chest.

“Are you sure you weren’t nervous because you were going to join a club with a bunch of girls in swimsuits?”

“Monsters in swimsuits. It’s not like I could forget that.”

“I…”

She lost any thought of retort. She had become aware of a slight fragrance of vinegar which did not mix well with the rest of the awful stench permeating this floor’s air. Tsukune chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he wandered away from the door.

“It still amazes me how all these guys are really into human girls. I guess it makes sense if all monsters can pretend to be humans.”

Glancing at the door, Kurumu wondered if the boys would try to overhear things. She suspected the only things they cared to hear were grunts, moans and labored breathing. Shaking her head, she moved away from the door to be out of sight of the small hole she had created last week.

“Well… monsters have always mated with humans.”

She smiled, thinking about his file.

“There’s monster blood in your veins.”

Tsukune held a finger to his lips but she shrugged off the warning.

“I’m serious, Tsukune. I visited Ms. Nekonome after class and she was kind enough to show me your file.”

“I have a file? So… she knows?”

Kurumu sighed dramatically while waving a hand dismissively.

“Yes, she does, but she wasn’t much help. She had more to say about my mother and her long term fiancé than anything about you.”

Tsukune frowned, still scratching the back of his head. She could guess he was trying to make sense of these new revelations.

“But I’m glad. It’s good that you are making friends here.”

Tsukune lowered his hand, chuckling.

“Well… after I caught Takoshine in an attempt to prank me today, things sort of smoothed over.”

“Prank?”

“Yea. He had way too many pickles for Aku not to bring it up during lunch. Still don’t know how he got in my room, but at least he hadn’t finished.”

She recalled Yamabato reporting the cheese slice incident. She scowled.

“Smoothed over? That guy’s a jerk, Tsukune.”

Tsukune laughed nervously.

“Well… he’s obsessed with Moka. I get the impression he has been watching her closely since the pool incident. Both Kinusawa and him were there.”

“Kinusawa?”

“The other guy in Kamitsuku’s room. I guess those two were from the same Junior High. That’s why they were both in art.”

“Those guys are in your art class?”

“The class after ours. I often cross ways with them, since the art studio is its own building.”

Kurumu nodded, not all that interested in this creepy, girly stalker. She had not meant for the conversation to steer this way over an offhand remark. There still was important things she had to say.

“Tsukune. You know when you said we would have to… wait. For our parents. And for Moka.”

She could feel his reaction.

“Did you have any other reasons to wait?”

He placed a hand on her head. It was far more soothing than what Yamabato had done only moments ago.

“You’re an important person to me, Kurumu. I can trust you.”

That tugged painfully at her heart. Her ignorance over her kind made it difficult to trust herself. She clenched her jaw, wishing he would kiss her. She could feel his desire to. It was an innocent urge much different than what she felt when someone wanted something else.

“Of course. I’m your girlfriend.”

It was similar to the sweetness she often felt from Moka.

“Would I really become your slave?”

Kurumu forced a smile, lifting her head. She could feel the moisture at the corner of her eyes, hoping he would not notice.

“I’m going to be cheerful.”

“Kurumu.”

It was no good.

“I’m going to laugh more and hug you more. I’m going to hang on you and hold your hand as much as you let me. Because being near you is the best I have ever felt, Tsukune.”

Tsukune sighed, removing his hand to hold his head.

“You’re hopeless.”

She wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand.

“I can’t help it.”

“So much for hoping you would make things easier.”

She sighed at an unwelcome intrusion. She doubted they could see her, but she could feel their interest. Knowing she had said nothing sexual, there was little reason to suspect they had been there long. Silly boys.

“I promise to pull away if you try touching anything beneath my skirt.”

“Sheesh. As if I had been doing that.”

Kurumu forced a giggle. She grabbed the hem of her shirt at her waist.

“You know. I’m not wearing a bra.”

Tsukune’s face reddened as he quickly looked aside.

“Do you want me to send you home?”

She huffed, turning her nose up. She could feel the desire from the doorway diminish at the prospect of discovery.

“Why? There’s nothing dangerous about feeling these up.”

“I take it back. I can’t trust you at all.”

She smiled, knowing he wanted to and that their audience wanted him to. This desire had nothing on Tuesday’s mishap, but Tsukune had quite the visible indication in his sleep pants.

“It might not be as much fun, but I suppose you could watch.”

“Watch?”

There was a slight tremor in his voice.

“Though I’ve never played with myself in front of someone before. I might be too embarrassed.”

Tsukune clapped both hands on her shoulders, his body trembling.

“Please don’t. Have mercy.”

She darted in to press her lips on the side of his jaw just below his ear. Startled, he drew away, but she had already hopped back a step. She clasped her hands behind her back.

“I’ll see you at church tomorrow morning.”

“I… yea.”

He was flush, burning with passion. It was a lust so pure that threatened her ability to stand. She had to retreat. As she moved for the door, she felt their audience dissipate. She rested her fingers on the lever that drew back the dead bolt.

“I love you, Tsukune.”

“Kurumu, thanks.”

She smiled, knowing it would only feel more tragic if he said the words she longed to hear. Throwing back the bolt, she slipped out of the room and eased the door back in place. She threw a smirk at the two boys lingering by Tanboshi’s door. To his credit, at least Tanboshi looked like he was still absorbed in his game. Yamabato looked up with a grin.

“Leaving already?”

Kurumu strolled over to them and playfully slugged Yamabato in the arm.

“I’m a succubus. I can tell when guys are watching me.”

Yamabato chuckled nervously while Tanboshi resolutely soldiered on with his façade of gaming innocence.

“Sorry.”

Taking a deep breath of this foul air, she bowed to them.

“Thank you.”

“Huh.”

“Thank you.”

She could not explain it, but she felt so relieved that they had intruded.

“Um… sure.”

She quickly hurried down the hall to the door. She pushed open the portal, taking another deep breath. It felt free.

Whirling about with a large grin, she waved at the boys.

“Take care.”


	21. Another Vampire

As they walked down the path to school, Kurumu was thankful Tsukune had also elected to wear the school uniform to church this morning. She had seen the selection in his closet, aware that neither of them owned attire suitable for that semi-formal activity.

Still the pair walking slightly ahead of them had outdone themselves. Both were wearing outfits that easily made school uniforms seem casual. Nazohashi looked more like she was attending a business interview in that stiff white jacket and black slacks.

She had to wonder if her remarks about Moka’s formal, yet stoic collection had inspired the acquisition of this scarlet corset dress. The strapless dress that bared the vampire’s shoulders was tied and hemmed with black lace. It billowed out after the hips, falling shy of the knees in the front but well past her calves in the back.

Unfortunately she had slept in, missing her opportunity to speak with Moka this morning. She had joined Tsukune for breakfast, though he had already finished and had only lingered around for her. He confessed being unable to find the words to talk with Moka, despite eating with the pair.

But Kurumu could understand his inability. A beautiful girl dressed like that would be intimidating and her distant demeanor made conversation impossible. Kurumu had already tried throwing out a couple hooks but Moka was either lost in thought or uninterested in speaking. The vampire was even short in her responses to anything Nazohashi brought up.

As suspected, Nazohashi had taken Moka to Mononoke yesterday to follow up on the deals they had made last weekend. Morioka had ducked out of the task last moment, forcing her to enlist Moka’s aid. Apparently he had made arrangements to check with the swimming club’s advisor concerning the missing twins.

Their shifty president had been outside the church to greet them at the conclusion of the service. He had called for an emergency club meeting but had promptly excused himself to retrieve Yukari. It was a serious matter that he claimed all club members should be present for.

Kurumu could not shake the feeling that the guy was up to something again. Nazohashi had been genuinely surprised with his presence so she could at least rule that out. She sighed, hoping this was not dreadful news about his missing girl project. If that number was still increasing she had to wonder what exactly the faculty was doing. They had not even issued a statement about the case.

As this path finally broke free of the woods, Kurumu noted they were approaching the school from the east side. The path would take them around the end of the tall perimeter wall that divided the school grounds from the woods to the south. It was not a very effective perimeter wall when it only barred entry from one direction.

“Hey, Nazohashi.”

As the brunette glanced over her shoulder, Kurumu halted her thought. There was little reason to ask about the spiritual barrier now and she knew the answer. She had felt that answer. Any student or staff that may have tried entry from any other way would have been forced to the main gate.

“Nevermind.”

As they walked about the end of the mason wall, Kurumu noted a few small buildings further off to their right. She had spent very little time on this side of the campus, aware that her impulsive fight with Moka had happened somewhere in the woods near here. They could be storage rooms, though she knew the art and shop buildings had to be somewhere around here. There was not any buildings on the west side of campus.

With another sigh, she clasped her hands together at the nape of her neck.

“My one free day of the week and I’m back in school.”

“What else would we do? We still have a lot of work to do if we want to put out a paper next week.”

“Next week? When did we decide on that?”

“It’s a tentative date. It’s not like you have your article finished.”

“How could I? I don’t even know if he’s serious about having an article for the track team. Did you know they have over forty girls?”

“I wasn’t meaning to single you out. I don’t have my article done either.”

Considering Kurumu did not even remember what Nazohashi planned to write about, the revelation meant nothing.

“All I’m saying is I don’t know what he wants me to write about. There’s no way we have the space to talk about forty girls and writing about the track team as a whole would be no different than any other club.”

“When did you decide to do the track team?”

Kurumu frowned, noting that it was quite a long walk to the nearest door. There was little point in walking the longer distance to the main door at the front of the mansion. Nobody was going to force them to change into school shoes on a Sunday.

“Thought I mentioned it the other day. You were there.”

“I didn’t see you at all yesterday.”

“The day before that.”

Nazohashi faltered a couple steps.

“I… maybe. That was a long day.”

Kurumu glanced at Tsukune for confirmation, but that only caused him to stumble a step under her charm. She sighed, aware it was a weak spell without any direction, yet no less irritating. She was fairly confident she had told Tsukune about it when they had worked on his project, but that had been after Nazohashi had left.

She swatted Tsukune’s shoulder to help jar him out of his stupor. Avoiding eye contact was such a nuisance. She had not been born with this ability and had found little reason to avoid charming boys in Junior High. It was not like it hurt anyone if her thoughts lacked relevant focus.

“Oh, sorry. Was I supposed to say something?”

“I discussed with Moka about changing my article and she agreed. There’s so little to do on the weekends outside of club activities. It would be better to write about places to hang out.”

“I thought you were going to write about school events.”

“I checked with the student council when I asked for permission on those fliers. They have nothing planned before midterms.”

“Should we worry about what places you would suggest as appropriate for hanging out?”

“I think I have an adequate concept of what passes for fun.”

Kurumu smirked, supposing the girl could manage something generic.

“Has anyone else thought it strange that the central part of the school looks like a haunted mansion?”

“I thought it more unusual that it’s a European mansion. I would have at least expected a Japanese mansion.”

Kurumu shrugged at these random comments.

“It’s not that strange. My Junior High was built around a similar structure, though it was more traditional. There’s something cliché about wealthy monsters founding schools.”

“I don’t think that’s limited to monsters. I know many rich humans contribute to the education system.”

“Humans aren’t in the practice of building schools around their homes. This was a home, right? Who was the founder of Yokai?”

Kurumu shrugged again. It was not like she bothered learning anything about this school.

“Mr. Tenmei Mikogami. The school was founded eighty four years ago, so this mansion predates the century. This information was mentioned in the academy brochures your family must have filled out for enrollment.”

“I honestly have no idea how my parents enrolled me in this academy.”

Kurumu paused, recalling Tsukune’s file.

“Have you considered the possibility that your parents know the headmaster?”

“What? I… no. My dad is just an ordinary guy. He got some flier about this school that advertised not having an entrance exam.”

Nazohashi glanced over her shoulder.

“That can’t possibly be the extent of it. Your parents are paying a tuition and had to enroll you in this school. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around you being mistakenly enrolled in this school when all the brochures were very explicit about Yokai’s vision of human coexistence.”

“Well… yea. But I would think my parents would have told me if they knew about this.”

“I wonder if they were allowed to enroll you over the phone. That might explain some things.”

Kurumu held her tongue. She had already told Tsukune that it was likely he had a monster in his ancestry. But he had a valid point about his parents. It would be unforgiveable to recklessly enroll your child in a dangerous school without even sharing a word of caution.

“Nazohashi. Our teacher is aware of Tsukune’s situation.”

“Really? She confirmed this with you?”

“Yes.”

Nazohashi sighed.

“That’s… strange. I don’t know what is going on.”

Moka reached the door first, drawing it open and holding it for them. It looked odd and Tsukune quickly moved to relieve the vampire of such a mundane task. He managed to get to the door a couple steps ahead of Nazohashi, though Moka did not take the hint.

“Uh… I can hold it.”

Kurumu sighed. It was not like she was that far behind Nazohashi so this was all awkward. Shaking her head, she followed the brunette into the school.

“Did you do something to Moka? She’s been so quiet today.”

Nazohashi paused, waiting for the door to close behind Tsukune and Moka.

“I don’t think so. She was like this yesterday.”

Moka bit her lower lip, lifting a hand to hover near her chin.

“I… I’m sorry. There’s been a lot on my mind.”

They stood in the small hall that flanked the nearby stairwell. It did not look like Moka would elaborate further. Tsukune managed a smile.

“Anyways, about that article. I’m sure you would include the arcade. I was a bit surprised there weren’t more students there.”

Nazohashi nodded. With the attention shifted away, Moka visibly relaxed.

“It was much busier yesterday.”

“It might be a fun place to hang out for a bit, but I can’t imagine holding a conversation there.”

Nazohashi shrugged, starting up the flight of stairs on their left. Kurumu was a little worried about Moka’s reluctance to even comment on Tsukune’s enrollment. But with Nazohashi walking off, she did not want to make things weird by lingering.

“We checked out the cinema to kill some time when it got too noisy to talk with the vendors.”

“They have a cinema?”

“A little behind current times though. I was surprised to see they were still airing Howl’s Moving Castle. Since Moka hadn’t seen it, I treated her.”

“Did they have a list?”

“List?”

“Like what they were showing. I’m surprised Morioka didn’t offer running an ad for them.”

“We can’t put out papers fast enough to keep up with current show times. That kind of thing would need updated weekly.”

As they reached the landing, Kurumu frowned, guessing that made sense.

“You could at least mention it. I didn’t see this cinema when we went to town.”

“I guess. I also heard from the guy in the ticket booth that we have an indoor skating thing. Not that I can skate but it would be worth mentioning.”

Kurumu had never been skating before. Her small town had been lucky to have a place for karaoke, let alone anything else. Every now and then there would be a festival, but mother had never taken her to such public things. It was sad knowing one of her highlights in the past couple years involved going to her first festival with an ensorcelled boyfriend.

“I don’t even own a yukata.”

“Huh?”

Kurumu waved dismissively.

“It sounds like you have a good list of things to do. Arcade, skating, movies, dining and karaoke. I wonder if they have a bowling alley.”

Kurumu snickered at Tsukune’s enthusiasm.

“Do you bowl?”

“On occasion. Usually when things were too busy at the arcade.”

Kurumu smiled slightly, wishing she had seen Tsukune’s file the other day. There were so many things she wanted to know and those few extra facts might have opened up more conversation topics. It was nice to know he was from Yamagata, but she had no idea where or how big that was. She only knew he had not been surprised at all about their class size.

Having reached the top of the stairs, she fell in step with Nazohashi as they made their way down the hall. To their right was the east wing which devoted the lower level to the third year students. The upper level was home to the infirmary they seemed to spend so much time in.

“You seem like a normal guy. What other sort of things did you do with your friends from Junior High?”

“I… well… we tried billiards once but we felt real out of place. I guess you’d have to find a less intimidating atmosphere for that. We went to the batting cages on some weekends.”

“That sounds like a lot of fun. In our little village in Tottori there was barely anything to do.”

Nazohashi sighed.

“I spent most of my past couple years in cram schools. You can imagine my disappointment ending up in a school that didn’t even have an entrance exam.”

“Why would your mother put you in cram schools if you were coming here?”

“I’m a monster. It’s normal for a monster to go to a monster school.”

It sounded reasonable, but her tone lacked conviction. Sensing things would not end well if she pursued the subject, Kurumu gestured to her right as they entered the mansion.

“So what else is over here? Other than our printing room.”

Nazohashi gestured over the balcony rail as she walked by the grand staircase that descended down to the first floor. The balcony encircled a large area decorated with fluted columns and opulent chandeliers. It truly was the epitome of grand foyers seen in all western mansions.

“A lot of these rooms have been converted to storage rooms for clubs.”

Kurumu nodded, not really caring.

“On the third floor is the student council room, which was probably a dining room. They have an adjacent kitchen up there, so it makes sense. There’s also the Headmaster’s Office and his private quarters.”

“Do you think he lives here?”

“Maybe. I know he never crossed my barrier.”

As they walked by a room labeled the PA Room, Kurumu thought about some of her Junior High associates that had been part of the Broadcasting club. She smiled as a new thought crossed her mind.

“Have you ever been to a club, Tsukune?”

“Huh?”

“A club. A place where they play live music.”

Tsukune shook his head while wagging his hand.

“Of course not. I never stayed out that late.”

“Aono seems the sort that would hang out in a maid café.”

His face turned red as he waved his hand agitatedly.

“I wouldn’t do that, Tora!”

Kurumu grinned with the distinct impression that he had at least been to one.

“You look like you wouldn’t make a bad maid. Aren’t braids a thing for them?”

Nazohashi snorted, throwing a gesture at Moka.

“Maid outfits aren’t much different than her dress. Can you honestly say I would look good wearing something like that?”

“Naw, I’m sure those have shoulders and sleeves. It’s not like you would have to worry about it falling off you.”

“What would be the point? Unless I take up the hobby of smuggling cabbages, the dress would be too baggy in the front. I’ll pass.”

That was possibly the funniest thing Nazohashi had ever said in three weeks. Kurumu covered her mouth as she unsuccessfully strangled a chuckle.

“What? I’m being serious.”

Kurumu merely shook her head with nothing to add. They were finally reaching the end of this hall where it would turn to the right.

“I wonder if they even have a maid café.”

“Are you interested?”

Tsukune waved dismissively.

“I was thinking Morioka would have mentioned something if they did.”

“He’s not going to take three girls to a maid café.”

“Yea, but it might be a place to mention. I know many guys would like that sort of thing.”

“Oh really?”

“It’s more an issue of whom the café could employ. The only girls that would be working there would be from Yokai.”

As they walked over to the balcony on the far side of the hall, Nazohashi offered a shrug before continuing her comment.

“While a café might only need five or six girls, it was always my experience that the girls rarely were from the nearest high school.”

“You’ve been in a maid café?”

“There was one near my cram school. I would stop in now and then because they had good tea and the girls were always friendly.”

Kurumu frowned, wondering why Nazohashi had even brought up maid cafés.

“I went a couple times because my friends were dead set on going. It was… uncomfortable.”

Kurumu sighed at his admission.

“Why am I not surprised?”

“At least he sounds like the flustered sort. Every now and then I’d see some real creeps. I couldn’t handle working with that.”

There was nothing great about being unable to act normal around girls. It was a serious character flaw, focusing on differences instead of accepting similarities. It was not that long ago that Tsukune had balked at the idea of holding a conversation with Nazohashi. Now he was addressing the brunette by her first name, though Kurumu suspected that was Moka’s influence.

Noting the door to their classroom was already drawn open, Nazohashi gestured to the room without another word. Not feeling in any hurry, Kurumu allowed the brunette to enter first. She rolled her eyes, aware that the little girl seated on Shirayuki’s desk would cause trouble soon.

“Morning, Ms. Sendou. Where is Senior?”

As Tsukune entered the room, Yukari crossed her arms about her small frame and turned her pert nose up.

“How would I know?”

Kurumu smirked.

“How did you get here before us when he went to get you after telling us about this meeting?”

The little girl lowered her nose, tilting her head away. She pulled the brim of her hat down to slightly shield her face.

“I used my magic.”

Tsukune smiled, oblivious to the white lie.

“You know, I never asked what elective you took.”

“Oh, she’s in my computer class.”

Yukari snickered.

“As if that’s a serious course. Complete waste of my time.”

“Morning, Yukari.”

Yukari looked over at the vampire lingering near the door and her jaw fell open. She scooted off the desk, staring at Moka.

“Beautiful.”

“Please don't stare, Ms. Sendou. Moka would have changed into something more casual if we had been forewarned about this meeting.”

The young girl stumbled forward a step.

“I'm so glad she didn't. I could not think of a better way to spend my time.”

Kurumu chuckled, shaking her head as the witch slowly walked over to the vampire as if in a trance.

“That girl is hopeless.”

“She really admires Moka.”

Moka drew back a step, though Yukari did not falter. She touched Moka’s stomach, tracing her fingers across the fabric.

“I've never seen you without your uniform. Forgive me!”

Yukari tensed up as she shot both her hands up to grab a tit in each. Her small hands squeezed and the little brat turned a lascivious grin upon Moka.

“You brat!”

Kurumu started a step but hesitated when she saw Nazohashi do the same. They both paused, looking to the other to make the first step. In the meanwhile, Moka whimpered as she fell back against the door. Her fists came up as her eyes closed tight.

“It's amazing. It's nothing like feeling them through the uniform. They're so warm and soft. Oh, they come right out.”

Kurumu promptly slapped a hand over Tsukune’s face, amazed that the brat had taken things that far.

“Ms. Sendou, please!”

Moka’s face was flush and turned aside. She had lifted one hand to obscure her mouth though her raspy breath was quite audible. Yukari had turned all her attention on the breast she had freed from the dress, squeezing and toying with the hardening nipple.

“I could die happy.”

Angry that Nazohashi was not even moving, Kurumu pushed Tsukune away. He stumbled back a couple steps, nobly shielding his gaze. Thankful he was trying to behave, Kurumu pounced upon the depraved imp. With the element of surprise, Kurumu easily got hold of the brat by both of her wrists.

“Get your hands off me, boobzilla.”

Yanking the girl away, she thrust her face close to Yukari and scowled.

“Are you dense? Moka wasn't enjoying that one bit.”

Yukari grinned.

“But she makes such delightful noises. Just look at her face.”

Kurumu glanced over, noting Moka had already tucked her breast back where it belonged.

“Noises, huh? You mean like this?”

Releasing one of the girl’s wrists, Kurumu grabbed at Yukari’s chest. There was not much there but she could feel the line of a bra beneath that blouse.

“What are you doing?”

The girl was already panting from feeling up Moka. Kurumu could not tell if this was effective at all, so she released Yukari’s other wrist to quickly start unbuttoning the girl’s blouse. She managed four buttons before Yukari tried to grab at her hands.

“Wait! I… gah!”

Having slipped her fingers inside the cups of the training bra, Kurumu could feel the subtle swell of a breast. It was easy to find the girl’s tiny nipples as they were already erect.

“You might be flat but that might change in a year or two.”

Yukari gripped her upper arm tightly while the other hand pushed weakly against her shoulder. The witch squeaked when Kurumu pinched the hardened little nub.

“That… hurt.”

Kurumu grinned, pressing closer which caused the small girl to stumble.

“What's the matter? You're barely putting up a fight.”

“You… you're much stronger than I am.”

Aware that the girl was relying on her for support, Kurumu allowed the girl to pull her down. Yukari’s eyes widened as they lowered to the floor.

“Wait!”

“What for? Just look at your face.”

Yukari whimpered as she failed to keep her footing. Once she had the girl on the floor, Kurumu snaked a hand below the girl’s skirt. Yukari stiffened in anticipation.

“You’re crazy!”

Kurumu smirked at the raspy remark, certain this girl was already familiar with masturbation. Swinging her leg over the girl’s torso, Kurumu took a seat on Yukari’s chest. With the girl pinned, Kurumu slipped her other hand below the girl’s skirt and pulled the panties down those small legs.

“Ah, revenge is so sweet.”

Finally realizing her intentions, Yukari started to pummel her lower back. The witch tried kicking those little legs, but that only helped Kurumu’s efforts. As she scooted down to Yukari’s skirt, she quickly managed to free the brat of her cotton, white panties with the usual crimson flower stitched in the front hem.

“Kurumu! What were you thinking?!”

Twirling the panty about her index finger, Kurumu stood up and stepped clear of the sniffling girl.

“Teaching a brat a lesson.”

She offered the garment to the flustered Tsukune. He shielded his face, shaking his head vigorously.

“But she's a child!”

Kurumu resisted the urge to argue the truth. The reason why the girl was covering her face and sniffling was because she had yielded. They both knew Kurumu could have done anything and Yukari would have gone with it.

“Well maybe she will stop giving Moka such a hard time.”

“I will have to side with Aono. What you just did was criminal.”

Kurumu snorted.

“Oh, please. Everyone here needs to remember this is a high school girl that enjoys feeling up another high school girl. Don't forget she also tried to force Tsukune into having sex with me. Stop excusing her behavior because she happens to be younger.”

Nazohashi contemplated this for a moment. Shaking her head, she gestured at the garment in Kurumu’s hand.

“At least give her panties back.”

“It's not like I planned to keep them.”

She dropped the undergarment on Yukari’s chest. The witch sniffled again, clutching at the white fabric while still hiding her face behind her forearm.

“I’ll never be married.”

“Oh, please. Tsukune didn’t see your bald coochie.”

She threw a glance at Tsukune, pointedly averting her eyes once she had his attention. While the way he stiffened caused her concern at first, he promptly bowed so deep that he could have been studying his ankles.

“On my honor, as a man, I swear I did not see anything that would jeopardize your innocence.”

A familiar chuckle brought attention to their fearless leader as he strolled through the open door. The wolf head pendant bobbed slightly against the blue dress shirt as he lifted a hand to touch his ear. He regarded the witch on the floor as a wry grin touched the corner of his mouth.

“Looks like I missed something interesting.”

Nazohashi sighed dramatically.

“Where have you been?”

“A minor delay. I was speaking with a classmate of mine about our club. He was a little interested when I told him about Moka.”

“Interested?”

Morioka favored the brunette with a feral grin.

“Yea, as in might consider joining. He's already in another club so I'm going to let you handle this, Moka.”

“Me?”

“He perked up when I mentioned you. I think you would have the most influence in convincing him to join.”

Kurumu scowled. Something felt suspicious.

“I hope this isn't the reason behind your emergency meeting.”

That grin and glimmer in his eye was not encouraging.

“How could it be? I only spoke with him a few minutes ago in the hall. He said he might drop in if he can sneak out of his club duties.”

“Sounds irresponsible.”

Morioka leaned back, crossing his arms about his chest.

“We are needing all the help we can get. As for why I called the meeting, I wanted to officially include the Unabara twins in our number.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, though she felt a slight pang of guilt. She had meant to confirm if those twins were missing from the dorms and had never made the time for it.

Yukari managed to get to her feet, still holding her panties in her left hand. Her face was flush and her eyes were reddened. With another sniffle she stiffly bent over to grab her hat.

“You don't suspect the mermaids?”

“I checked with the advisor, Ms. Amekoshi. It felt safer than trying to get a story out of any of those treacherous seniors. The short of it is that they can't afford to lose the twins.”

Yukari plopped the hat atop her head.

“You know Ms. Amekoshi is also a mermaid. Why accept her story?”

Morioka sighed as he scratched behind his ear where the headband rested. He hooked his other thumb through a loop of his black slacks.

“They had a lot of seniors and juniors last year so they thinned their freshmen by over half. Because of that they have less juniors than freshmen recruits. If those twins aren’t found, their club only has four members that aren’t seniors.”

“Strength in numbers.”

“Exactly. Ms. Amekoshi likes to keep the club hovering between ten and sixteen. It was over twenty last year and word did get around. She had to promise safety for the four freshmen she recruited.”

“Did she have any idea whom might have interest in the twins?”

“Unfortunately not. We only know that the twins left practice early on Tuesday and haven't been seen since.”

Kurumu slipped into Tamaishi’s chair. Knowing the girls had not been eaten was a minor relief but they were still missing. It would be foolish to cling to the hope that they were still alive.

“Senior. If we do run an article about these missing girls… What angle are you approaching this?”

Morioka clutched his fist as he bared his fangs.

“I'm hoping for a conclusive one.”

“Conclusive?”

“I'm tired of waiting for the faculty to step up. I plan to spend the rest of today scouring every nook and cranny on this campus. I don't care if I have to resort to breaking and entering. There has to be something.”

Nazohashi managed a weak smile.

“Is it possible some of these girls disappeared at Mononoke? Maybe even all of them?”

“No.”

“But none of the girls vanished between classes. It’s always been on the weekend or after club activities.”

“The last sightings have always been on campus. I thought about asking around town but these are freshmen girls. How many freshmen girls wander to town by themselves?”

“But the twins would have been together. As were the first two.”

“And how do we explain Ms. Kisurusu or Ms. Kinzoku?”

Yukari huffed, turning up her nose.

“That's because you insist all six are related.”

“Are you wanting to say we have four different cases in under three weeks? I'm having a hard time believing we would have so much unrelated activity.”

Putting it like that did make it sound far more sinister. It made Kurumu feel acutely aware how often she roamed about campus by herself.

“If we aren’t conclusive, we should at least issue a warning.”

Yukari shook her head.

“Yokai is an academy built on a mixture of schools. There has always been a history of incidents among the first years.”

Morioka scowled.

“Student Police killings.”

“It is documented-“

His face darkened as he clenched his teeth.

“I know what is documented. It's always the same song and dance. The Student Police did an investigation and some nobody monstrel was found guilty and summarily executed. It's been dragging on like this for almost a decade.”

The vehemence behind those words surprised her. True or not, it was clear this belief would cause tension with the Student Police if he had boldly published anything incriminating.

“So you think the Student Police are responsible?”

“For this?”

Morioka chuckled, his mood visibly lightening.

“Not likely. I doubt the Student Police murder freshmen on a regular basis. But they certainly enjoy blaming everything on monstrels. We have to figure this out before they do or the truth may never get out.”

“Oh, okay. You had me worried there.”

Yukari turned a blank look upon Morioka.

“Do you think the Student Police would not turn over the real culprit?”

“If they turn out to be faculty… no. Too much to gain from that. The Student Police is largely about politics. I find it impossibly convenient that over two thirds of the murders on campus have been concluded as monstrel crimes.”

Kurumu understood his point but it was not like she had anything good to say about monstrels. A glance with Nazohashi confirmed the brunette was on the same page. Saizou had not been the best way to introduce them to his kind.

“So you want us to help search the campus?”

“To be blunt, I want you to keep Tsukune off the radar.”

“What? Why?”

Morioka shrugged.

“This is going to draw a lot of attention from the Student Police and I don't want him involved.”

Kurumu nodded, thinking that made sense. While she was not worried about Deshi, there were plenty of older members in the Student Police that would be wary of the Newspaper Club’s activities.

“Tora and I will handle this.

“Me?”

“Don't worry. I'll take good care of you.”

That worried Kurumu a little.

“To be fair, she’s not exactly dressed to participate in your shady misadventures.”

“We can stop at the dorms first so she can change into something casual.”

“And what am I supposed to do?”

Morioka grinned at the witch.

“Ah, yes. We haven't decided on what sort of article you should write. Let me think another day on that.”

Yukari crossed her arms and pouted.

“That’s it? Why call an emergency meeting if all you wanted to do was snoop around with Tora?”

“You can always go back to doing whatever it was that ended up with you holding your panties instead of wearing them.”

Yukari blushed hotly.

“I'm going to take off. I want you kids to hang around at least till lunch in case that guy shows up. Tora.”

Morioka nodded before heading out of the room. Nazohashi bowed slightly, mumbling something as she started for the door. With a final apologetic nod to Moka, the brunette departed with quick steps to catch up to Morioka.

Kurumu glanced about, wondering what they should do in the meantime. Tsukune had taken a seat at her desk and Moka was still lingering by the door. Yukari was meticulously slipping her panties back on. She made a point to only lift the part of her skirt that faced away from Tsukune.

She sighed. Moka was not in a talkative mood, so even if she managed to bring up a subject the vampire had interest in, the conversation would die quickly. Yukari was still fairly new to the circle so Tsukune would be reserved no matter what she talked about. It would be difficult to push small talk on a girl she had molested a few minutes ago.

“Think you will need help with your track team article?”

She smiled, thankful he had said something.

“Sure. I wonder if the track team is practicing today.”

“It's Sunday. I'm surprised there are any clubs on campus today.”

Kurumu planted her elbow on the edge of the desk, resting her cheek on her palm. She smirked at the little girl.

“So what article did you want to write? How to properly fondle a vampire's breasts.”

“Kurumu.”

She waved off Moka’s reproach.

“I was kidding. We should think of something for Yukari to write.”

“I can do it by myself.”

Kurumu sighed, shaking her head.

“That's not the problem, Yukari. You have to admit that you don't know the first thing about being normal.”

The little girl turned a scowl upon her.

“What's that supposed to mean?”

“She could write about her study techniques.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes at his suggestion.

“Who would want to read that? That would be boring.”

“I don't need to study.”

“And you wondered what I meant by being normal.”

“Most intelligent people don’t require additional study time. They only do so to refresh their memory.”

“An attitude like that will anger more readers than help.”

“Maybe she could write an article similar to mine.”

“Why would we want to publish a paper with similar articles? We should at least think of something original for her to work on.”

Tsukune shrugged.

“What do you think, Moka?”

Moka stiffened at his directed question.

“I… I don't know. He said he would come up with something.”

Kurumu grimaced at the thought of relying on Morioka for anything. He was so fixated on the kidnappings that she might even have to resort to begging Yamabato for assistance on the track team pictures.

“Why not write an article about Moka?”

If he had been sitting closer, she might have impulsively backhanded him.

“Are you serious?”

“I… well… yea. I know several guys that would like to know more about Moka.”

Kurumu would not protest that. Helping Moka find a boyfriend would make things easier for everyone. Even with the revelation of his humanity and the threat she might pose to him, Kurumu felt Moka would be better in the arms of another man. Besides, Tsukune was in the same amount of danger if he dated Moka. That silly girl had no restraint when it came to sucking his blood.

“I don't have a problem with that.”

Kurumu wagged a finger at the smirking witch.

“You better keep your hands to yourself!”

“I don't mind.”

The grin turned even more lecherous.

“If she doesn't mind-“

Kurumu hopped up and swatted the witch on the head, knocking the hat off.

“She means being the topic of your article! Do I have to pin you down again?”

“An article about a vampire, eh? I do hope you will be discreet.”

The silken voice drew their attention to the door. A young man was leaning in the doorway not far from Moka. The top three buttons of his crimson shirt were undone with a polished pearl slide dangling against the exposed portion of his tan chest. His hands were thrust in the pockets of his ebony slacks which were cinched at the waist by a wide, white belt.

Kurumu backed away from the witch, noting how the guy had not tucked the long sleeved shirt in at the waist. He certainly gave off the same casual air that Morioka presented, causing her to conclude this was the classmate he had mentioned.

“And you are?”

He freed one hand to run his fingers through his long, silver bangs. He leveled his crimson eyes upon her.

“Inui Junya from Class 2-2. Your president said I would find you here.”

She smirked, wondering if this guy was aware of her charm. He did not seem fazed in the slightest, which was unusual.

“You need to step up your game, Tsukune.”

Kurumu frowned at the remark but realized the small witch was staring in awe at the beautiful man.

“Game? Why am I being called out?!”

The upperclassmen pleasantly grinned.

“Such an energetic group. So this must be Ms. Sendou Yukari.”

“I am.”

“Following in your Grandfather’s footsteps? It will be difficult to write something about vampires that he has not already covered.”

Yukari blushed, regarding the floor.

“I’ll try.”

The boy grinned again, turning to regard Moka.

“And you must be the daughter of the Shuzen estate.”

Kurumu flinched at the comment. That was not common knowledge and the declaration was drawing an intrigued look from Yukari

“I… um… I'm Moka Akashiya.”

The young man planted his elbow on the door next to Moka, leaning in close.

“It's fine. We often need an alias to avoid the attention.”

“Inui, you said. Which household are you from?”

Inui smiled as he regarded the inquisitive witch.

“Now that seems a bit impolite.”

“If I write an article about Moka, I would like to include you as well.”

“I doubt I would be of any interest to your readers. I would prefer to avoid such attention.”

“Fair enough. How are you aware that she is from the Shuzen clan? I was not aware of any children from that family.”

Inui frowned at Moka.

“Have you not told your friends something as simple as that?”

Noting Moka’s discomfort, Kurumu cleared her throat.

“I was aware of that. We have only been friends with Yukari for a couple days now, so the subject of Moka’s family has not come up.”

“Oh.”

He nodded slightly to Moka.

“My apologies. To be fair, I have not told anyone about being a vampire, let alone my household.”

“How is that fair?”

“I keep acquaintances. I am not in the habit of making friends.”

“You were forthright about being a vampire with us right away.”

“The circumstances are different. I have never met another of my kind so close to my age. Keeping my motive secret would have only been detrimental.”

The ease in which he was handling her remarks troubled her. She could not decide if he was well rehearsed or genuine.

“This won't be an inconvenience with your current club? I mean… you are serious about leaving it to join ours?”

Inui chuckled, openly staring into her eyes. It was a bit unnerving.

“It's not like they are in desperate need of my presence. As I said before, I only keep acquaintances. They might not even notice I’m gone.”

Yukari snorted.

“Impossible.”

Kurumu had to agree. This guy stood out even if he tried to keep his distance. In that regard, he was very much like Moka. As she regarded the pair, they looked almost like they belonged together.

“Has your club concluded for the day? I thought I would see Morioka.”

Kurumu sighed. The fact that Morioka had been involved gnawed away at her trust. She somewhat liked the idea of Moka being with this guy, especially if he joined the club. What did Morioka gain if he had a hand in this?

“He was having us wait for you. There was nothing else on the agenda.”

Inui chuckled.

“Is that so? Well, if there is nothing else planned.”

He turned and bowed, swirling about his hand in an inviting gesture.

“Would you do me the pleasure of being my escort for the afternoon?”

Kurumu’s heart skipped. She felt so envious, wishing Tsukune would do something like that for her.

Moka hesitated, glancing to them. Turning a reluctant smile upon him, she placed her hand in his.

“Sure.”

“Moka?!”

Kurumu waved her hand to cut off Tsukune’s protest.

“Senior said I should encourage you to join.”

“I hope that is not the only reason to entertain my request.”

Moka shook her head, allowing him to pull her in closer.

“No, it's not.”

He turned about, adroitly sweeping his hand behind his back. Effortlessly he switched her hand to his other while moving for the door. He quickly touched two fingers to his brow where the tips of his bangs fell.

“It was a pleasure meeting all of you.”

The lovely couple departed. It was only a matter of seconds before she could hear no trace of their footsteps in the hall. A part of her wanted to believe this would be a good thing. She glanced over at Yukari.

“So how long should we wait before following them?”

* * *

The young waiter set down the massive parfait in front of Yukari’s sparkling eyes. The girl made a brief squeal before stabbing the through the black coating with a tiny spoon. Pulling out a creamy dollop, she stuffed the treat inside her mouth. Her narrow shoulders quivered with delight as she sucked the utensil clean.

Kurumu sipped the tea she had ordered merely to be polite. It was not like she had received any additional funding so she was still nearly broke from last week’s excursion. If she had bought that uniform on Friday instead of forwarding the bill home, she would not have any money to pay Tsukune back.

Not wanting to sound rude, she had not asked how much his parents had sent. She knew he had been given enough to alleviate his uniform woes, though she could not imagine him getting that much more. Most of their needs were met with the monthly bill of tuition and board.

She sighed, doubting her mother would even bother sending additional funds when this weekend rolled around. No doubt that uniform bill would result in a letter of reproach, considering how her mother had balked at giving her any spending money after sinking so much into uniforms and school supplies.

“I didn't know espionage could be this fun. I should do it more often.”

Yukari went back to stuffing her mouth full of sweets. The little girl was making the most of this outing, spoiling herself at every opportunity. It was a little annoying but occasionally adorable. She behaved like a pardoned criminal free in the streets after a decade of confinement.

After allowing a ten minute lead, Yukari had demonstrated her magical prowess by taking a pinch of Moka's hair and taping the strands to her finger with an adhesive bandage. With a few words of power, she was able to point in the direction Moka was located.

They had caught up to the pair before reaching Mononoke, forcing Yukari to hold them up for further enchantments. These spells had taken a bit longer to complete, but Yukari assured that they would remain hidden from sight and sound as long as they remained focused while holding the rocks she had enchanted.

The task proved almost effortless for Kurumu. The concentration was not much different than trying to maintain a human form. It was more an issue of avoiding contact with other people milling about Mononoke. She had to pay extra attention to her surroundings and even then she would sometimes misjudge the pathing and leave some poor soul confused over what they had bumped into.

Tsukune was a lost cause. He had about as much comprehension over magic and spiritual energy as she had with algebra. He had resorted to ducking around corners and hiding in the crowd. It had become obvious that Inui was at least aware of Tsukune's presence, deliberately looking back in their general direction as he placed his arm about Moka's shoulders.

Moka had been slightly more talkative, though she was allowing Inui to guide most of the conversation. The topics were never important, usually geared to opinions over the wares of a certain place or random generalities. He was pleasant but superficial, making no strong commitments to any subject.

Inui had eventually settled on taking Moka to the Siren's Lullaby, a karaoke place she had noted last weekend. It was a three story building that had formerly been an apartment complex. The rooms had been soundproofed and equipped with screens, players, speakers and even a disco ball. A phone was mounted by each door with service to the main counter for requests.

Giving up on the notion that they could overhear anything, Yukari had rented a room with the intent of trying it out. It had been difficult to get Tsukune engaged in the activity, but around the ten minute mark he had finally yielded to sing a couple songs.

“Will it be okay leaving them like that?”

Kurumu glanced at Tsukune whom was still picking at what remained of his tempura udon. He was determined to worry about Moka today. She sighed, wishing he would at least pretend like this was a date. She could not imagine Yukari protesting if Tsukune initiated contact.

Yukari waved her bandaged index finger.

“I will know when they start moving.”

They had left Siren's a little more than an hour past noon. Yukari had mentioned movement, and they had almost caught up with their quarry when it had become obvious that the vampires had stopped for a late lunch. Knowing it would be much too awkward to eat in the same establishment, they had wandered a few minutes to find this nearby restaurant.

Kurumu smiled, aware that Yukari had intentionally picked a seat that allowed her the most freedom with her ensorcelled finger. Her finger had drifted earlier but the witch had reasoned that away as a bathroom break. She truly was amazing.

“I'm surprised you can still cast spells. I thought witches used wands.”

“Yes and we need brooms to fly and cauldrons to cast curses.”

Kurumu huffed at the sarcastic tone. How was she supposed to know anything about witches beyond general gossip?

“You don't have to be a jerk about it.”

“I don't understand why you would use a wand. You don't need one.”

Yukari wagged her spoon at him.

“Wands are like shortcuts. Think of the icons on a desktop. It's not like you can't find the programs you want, but the icon is very convenient.”

“So… a wand is like a program?”

“Hmm. Perhaps that was the wrong way to explain it. A wand is more like the computer itself. You can store multiple programs in it, allowing you to cast any spell within its database much faster.”

“That's insane.”

“I don't expect you to comprehend how a wand works. You can't even properly operate an enchanted rock.”

Tsukune bowed his head sheepishly.

“Yukari.”

The little girl shrugged at her tone, electing to stuff her mouth with another spoonful of fudge covered ice cream. Kurumu took another sip, wishing they had picked a spot near the windows. They were so close to the bar counter that she could hear the sizzle of the grill.

“Is it exhausting?”

“Huh?”

“Casting spells. I know that Tora was wiped out from that barrier.”

“Spiritual magic and witchcraft are different animals. Tora was pulling from herself. I draw my power from the latent energy surrounding all things. Continuous spells can become tiring, but I can terminate those at will.”

She held up her bandaged finger.

“This is a continuous spell. But the rock I gave you is an enchantment. It reacts upon your will to create the results I programmed.”

Tsukune frowned, pulling the rock out of his pocket and holding it up.

“So this would be like the icon on a desktop.”

“I have no idea why you can't get it to consistently work. It should be idiot proof if Kurumu can do it.”

Kurumu scowled, setting her cup down on its saucer. The witch was lucky she was across the table.

“What are we even doing?”

Noting the curious looks, Kurumu sighed.

“It's not like we've learned anything about this guy.”

“I can't let this suspicious character have his way with my Moka.”

“Morioka is suspicious. This Inui… I don't know.”

Yukari snorted as she licked her spoon clean. Recognizing the futility of retrieving more from the depleted container with the utensil, she set the spoon aside and upended the glass on her lips. Slurps intertwined with gasps as the girl made short work of the sweet vestiges.

Smacking her lips, she moved the cup aside and retrieved the brown, cloth napkin. She rubbed it about her face, making certain to catch the smudge on the bridge of her nose. Polished up, she folded the napkin twice.

“It's too perfect. The odds of Moka actually going to school with another vampire is dismally low. When my grandfather wrote his dissertation on vampires twenty seven years ago, there were only four recognized households in all of Japan.”

Tsukune perked up.

“You don't think he's a vampire?”

“It will be difficult to tell. I wish he would say something to make a ruse obvious, but he made it clear that he was aware of my grandfather's work. If he sticks to what was written, I won't be able to challenge his authenticity. We can only hope Moka will act upon any wrong information.”

Kurumu sighed. She did not have high hopes of Moka seeing through a ruse. That girl was disconnected from her family.

“And what if he actually is a vampire?”

“He feels… different. He is stronger than Moka, but can't compare to her true form. You should have picked up on that.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“All monsters learn to mask their auras while assuming human form. And… well… I noticed my charm has no impact. He didn't stutter or stagger. I've never met a man of any race that was able to completely ignore my charm.”

“You tried charming him?”

“Not exactly. It's more that our eyes met and there was nothing. Even when I'm not trying to charm a guy, there's usually some kind of response.”

“There's no recorded instance of a vampire male with a succubus. I could not tell you if that is normal or not.”

Kurumu had not expected there to be. If things were genuine, it would be nice to have a guy around that she did not have to be cautious around.

“What do you think, Tsukune?”

“About what?”

“If we assume this is some scheme by Morioka, what exactly is he up to?”

Tsukune looked at the table while thumbing the rock in his hand. Yukari sighed, planting her cheek on the base of her hand as she leaned forward.

“That's what puzzles me. If anyone had something to gain from another vampire conveniently showing up, it would be you.”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out.

“Maybe he thinks this will make Moka happy.”

Kurumu sighed at his dejected conclusion. Morioka's track record contested such an optimistic point of view.

“You give him too much credit.”

“I would be grateful to the person that arranged for me to meet a warlock.”

“And how does that work out in the long run? He would have to be a real vampire.”

“If he is promised to another, there would be no issue.”

“I think he made it clear that he didn't know any vampires his age.”

“His age being the key factor of that statement. I don't know what their plan is, but that is one possibility that could be presented in a way that has Moka unwittingly turning to our Club President for comfort.”

“You both are assuming that Morioka still wants Moka for himself. Are you sure that's the case?”

Kurumu paused, recalling Morioka's parting remarks at the bus stop. He had made it clear he was not done trying to get rid of Tsukune, but winning Moka over had not been so important. How could this plot push Tsukune away? The most Morioka could hope for was removing Moka from the equation. There had to be another part to this plan that they were not seeing.

“Tsukune. If Inui really is a vampire… that's a good thing.”

“Maybe.”

Yukari stood up with a jerk that almost toppled her chair over. She held her hand out and turned to align with her index finger.

“They're moving.”

The small girl started for the door, reaching into her pocket. She vanished without a trace, though it was obvious when she left as the door could not open and close by itself.

Kurumu sighed, scooting her chair back to get up. She disliked how these things worked, as it was too easy to lose each other. While the enchantment did allow them to see each other while invisible, it still presented a huge problem for Tsukune.

“The bill?”

Kurumu flinched at the sudden appearance of their waiter. She managed a smile as she took the small piece of paper from the shaggy haired man. She passed it over to Tsukune, feeling a little guilty that she had not thought to bring her wallet this morning.

“You okay with this?”

He took the paper from her hands, glancing over the amount.

“She did pay for the karaoke, so I can do this.”

She supposed that was true but the cost of renting a karaoke room for an hour was a little less than footing the bill for two and a half lunches. She still could not believe they charged that much for tea. They should have found a more reasonably priced restaurant.

After handing off the cash, Tsukune moved over to join her. He was thumbing the rock in his hand but was probably waiting for his change. She hoped Yukari would notice their absence soon or it would be impossible to find the witch, let alone the vampires they were tailing.

“We should hold hands.”

“Huh?”

Kurumu smiled.

“It might work if I’m also holding your rock. We’ll find Yukari much faster without you looking like you’re under some weird spell.”

“I got it to work. Sometimes.”

Kurumu chuckled, aware that he had only managed to hold the spell active in brief intervals. It had been long enough to keep track of them, though it was not like she had ever given him a chance to lose her. She saw little point chasing after Moka if it came at Tsukune’s expense. She was not going to let another incident like the locker room mob happen again.

The waiter returned with Tsukune’s change. After exchanging polite nods, Kurumu started for the door. She saw little reason to activate her charm while in the restaurant so she waited for Tsukune to step outside before taking his hand in hers.

“Wait, Kurumu.”

In an instant the world lost all color. Every sound diminished in this black and white setting as if she was trying to listen through a pillow. She squeezed his hand, noting his arm retained his normal hue.

“How did you do that?”

Kurumu shrugged, aware that she had successfully pulled him into this spell. She wondered why Yukari had not suggested this earlier.

“We have to find that little rascal.”

“Yea.”

He fell in step behind her. In truth it would not be hard to find Yukari. Yukari would be the only other colorful being in this gray scale realm.

“Yukari!”

There was no need for restraint. Her sound would not carry over to the normal world. Emboldened by her call, Tsukune offered his own. They wandered off in the direction Kurumu recalled Yukari’s finger pointing. She could only hope that direction had not changed much since Yukari’s disappearance.

She sighed after walking by several buildings with no signs of the witch. It occurred to her that Yukari was wearing a white blouse tucked in a black skirt. She also had black hair, black shoes and white socks. Short of picking the girl out because of that ridiculous pointed hat, also black, this would be no easy task.

“Over there.”

Kurumu noted the small alley Tsukune pointed down. At the end of the alley was an open gate with rows of gravestones beyond. Deep in the cemetery a familiar pair of figures walked on a paved path that wound about the many markers of the dead.

Giving his hand a squeeze, she walked quickly down the alley. She did not see the little witch, but knew the brat was hiding somewhere among the graves. She felt confident that if she held his hand, they could get close enough to hear whatever it was these two would talk about in this reclusive place.

“Why would they go to a cemetery?”

It was a reasonable question that also had her concerned. But this guy could have taken Moka to some secluded area from the start if he harbored harmful intentions. She supposed it possible for a staged fight to break out with Morioka sweeping in to save the day. No, there was no reason to doubt his intent to search the campus with Nazohashi.

As they reached the gate, Kurumu noticed Yukari hiding with her back against a tombstone. Their eyes met and the little witch motioned for her to approach low while shushing her. Taking the hint, Kurumu ducked her head and walked softly across the grass while avoiding the fallen leaves.

“I love this time of the year. As the last of the cherry blossoms fall, I can only imagine how fleeting some lives are.”

“I always feel a bit sad.”

“Empathy for the human race? I’m sorry. Morioka mentioned many of his club members spent considerable time in the human realm, yourself included. He has such a fascination for humans.”

“It was okay.”

“I understand. It is difficult to be around humans. They are so different from us.”

“It’s not their fault.”

“I did not say it was.”

Kurumu finally made it to the gravestone next to Yukari. She pulled Tsukune up close to her, careful not to lose grip on his hand. To his credit, he managed to avoid any awkward contact while moving about to take a similar stance with his back to a stone beside her.

“Do you mind the silence, Moka?”

“I’m sorry, Inui.”

“For what?”

“I was supposed to be nice and convince you to join the club.”

“And you have been fine in that endeavor.”

“It felt more like you were trying to show me a good time.”

Inui chuckled.

“A pretty girl looks depressed and withdrawn. As a man I could not simply expect for you to make the first move.”

The sudden squeeze of her hand startled her. It was easy to read Tsukune’s anger with that remark.

“Ease up, Tsukune. Nobody expected you to wake Moka out of that.”

“Try to keep your voice down.”

“But your spell.”

Yukari shook her head, motioning to shush. While Kurumu knew the spell was still working, she supposed there was no reason to push their luck.

“You know that boy was following us earlier. I believe Sendou called him Tsukune.”

“You must be mistaken. Tsukune would not come to Mononoke on his own.”

“Perhaps you’re right. You know there are always rumors about the first years, most unworthy to pay attention to. I had almost dismissed the notion there was another vampire.”

“Well, I am a vampire.”

“And yet you went to a pool to challenge the mermaids? I wouldn’t think any vampire would act so recklessly.”

“That was… a misunderstanding.”

“And then there was the tussle with the lizards harassing Sendou. I mean, sure, I hate water based faerie like any other vampire, but I don’t go out of my way to pick fights with them.”

“You heard about that?”

“One of your victims was Saguri from Class 1-4. I know a girl in there that told me about it.”

“I’m sorry.”

Inui chuckled.

“What for? I like how spirited you are, which is why it pains me to see you behaving so passive. Where’s this aggressive woman that I’ve heard so much about?”

Moka touched the rosary hanging from her collar.

“I keep her sealed away as much as I can.”

“Is that what that is? I did think it strange for a vampire to be toting around a symbol of Christianity. That church has not been very pleasant to our kind over the centuries.”

“It’s not just vampires.”

“True. So how did you get that thing? Some dog of the church try to exorcise your demons?”

Moka clutched her rosary.

“I… my mother says it was to seal my true form away. I’ve had it for as long as I can remember.”

“And how long is that?”

“… almost six years ago.”

Kurumu’s eyes widened. She felt bad for not pushing the issue. She knew Moka had been sealed away because her true form had become too powerful. But she had always assumed that had been a long time ago. Six years. That was barely more time than when her mother had taken her to Kengamine.

“So if I remove this, I will see the real you?”

“It’s not that simple. Only Tsukune can remove my seal.”

Inui traced his fingers along the rosary. He drew his hand back to cup his chin while tilting his head.

“I wonder if that’s because you have been feeding on him.”

“What?!”

“If the rumors can be trusted, that girl of his was quite vocal about you leaching off him.”

“I… it’s not that.”

“Even if it isn’t, you must know that starting a blood claim without family approval is strongly discouraged. Are your parents aware of the situation?”

Moka bowed her head, fists clenched.

“I know. I… wasn’t thinking. I was just… so happy.”

Inui sighed dramatically, rubbing his head.

“It happens. But you know it never works out. Rules are rules.”

There was quite the long pause after his remark, both vampires standing about in silence. Kurumu leaned closer to Yukari.

“Rules?”

“Guidelines to keep the young out of trouble.”

Kurumu nodded. Even humans kept some rules for children so it was not something to worry about.

“It’s not like I haven’t drank the blood of a girl before. Some get a real kick out of it. But then things start to get serious and I start thinking about the Rite of Ascension. It isn’t fair.”

Yukari vigorously shook her head at Kurumu’s look.

“We're friends. That's all.”

“Yea. That’s the best vampires can do, isn’t it?”

“Inui… I…”

Managing a smile, Inui turned on Moka.

“Perhaps we can make this easier on us both. I know the Irozuku family is not nearly as prestigious as yours, but I would be honored if you would consider the prospect of marriage.”

Tsukune’s hand flew from hers to grip the top of the tombstone. He poked his head over the stone, his teeth clenched.

“Marriage?!”

Yukari hopped up and slapped her hand down like a knife upon the back of his neck. Tsukune’s body went limp and he collapsed behind the stone.

“Yukari!”

The witch threw herself on top of Tsukune as both vampires looked in their direction. Kurumu froze up, pressing her back hard against the cold stone.

“Did you hear something?”

“A cat?”

To her surprise a black kitten pounced from Tsukune’s position to the other side of her gravestone. There was no sign of Yukari. The kitten mewled a sound very similar to the word marriage.

Inui chuckled.

“A black cat. How fortuitous to see one after a proposal.”

“Inui… I…”

“Please, Moka. I would prefer Junya. There's no reason to use my alias as a formality at this point.”

The kitten strolled back around to her side of the stone. Like rippling water, the feline stretched out and resumed the form of Yukari. She pressed up close against Kurumu, pushing her fingers against Kurumu’s lips.

“I haven’t even thought of marriage.”

“Hopefully you are not the eldest daughter.”

“I… I’m not.”

“Then you do have more freedom in your choice. Matchmaking is such a terrible process. I would much prefer a bride my age here and now than waiting a few generations with the hopes I will become important enough for someone to throw a girl my way.”

Moka giggled. It was the first time she had all day.

“I’m deadly serious. You are aware that your father was still unmarried in his late forties. No doubt your sister is a highly contested prize.”

“Please don’t say such things.”

“At least consider my offer.”

Kurumu swallowed. She wanted to see what was going on, but Yukari was too close. She did not dare push the girl aside, fearing it would compromise their position.

“There's little reason to discuss this without my mother’s approval. I know not what plans she may have for me.”

“Perhaps I should try harder to capture your heart.”

Moka laughed. Kurumu grimaced as a small hand squeezed her shoulder. Yukari’s hat was lying next to the unconscious Tsukune. The air was stifling.

“You’re so alike.”

“Alike?”

“To our President. I can tell you’re this charming to all the girls.”

“It makes life easier so I see no reason not to be.”

“It’s hard to take it seriously.”

“There are far too many serious things in life.”

“And how serious are you about that proposition?”

Kurumu closed her eyes, thankful that Moka’s mood had finally brightened. She could already guess Inui’s response from the length of this pause.

“I mentioned it as an option to avoid the potential heartbreak in pursuing other races. I know I should be more serious but I know as much about you as you know about me.”

“Thank you, but I will be fine.”

“That’s hardly the attitude to show a prospective club member.”

Moka sighed with a breathy laugh.

“How may I convince you?”

“Ah, the direct approach. In that case. I have a place I want to show you. Come along.”

She could hear their retreat, moving deeper into the forest. Yukari finally backed away, allowing cooler air to invade the space. The little witch moved over to snatch up her hat and plop it back on her head.

“We have to go.”

Kurumu smiled, regarding the still form of Tsukune.

“We can’t leave him here.”

“But Moka.”

“She’ll be fine, Yukari. She’ll be fine.”

* * *

She waited on the first step below the landing, watching the small girl work the key into the lock. The light mounted in a rectangular, pointed sconce was drawing the attention of moths and other winged insects. Upon detecting their approach, the fixture had turned on. Kurumu still felt embarrassed for asking if that had been another enchantment.

They had waited about twenty minutes for Tsukune to regain consciousness before making their way back to the dorms. He had quite a few words for Yukari but he did agree that being caught spying would not have gone well. She could tell he was mostly upset that a little girl had knocked him out.

He did inquire about the Rite of Ascension, which Yukari had explained away as part of a mating ritual that made non vampire partners more compatible. It was potentially fatal, hence why so many vampires avoided pursuing serious relationships outside their own kind.

Having been too early for dinner, she had encouraged Yukari to hang out with them in Tsukune’s room. They had only stopped at Baratoge long enough for Kurumu to retrieve her assignments. It was no surprise that Yukari had already completed the schoolwork, but disappointing when she realized Tsukune had finished most of it as well.

The lock clicked and Yukari pushed the door open. She lifted on the balls of her feet a moment while swinging her right palm up to catch the switch. The room beyond lit up as she stepped further inside, leaving the door open.

Kurumu wandered in, setting aside her schoolbag and closing the door. Yukari was seated on the lip of the foyer, removing her black slippers. The girl had made such a fuss about tracking dirt in Tsukune’s room. With the scolding fresh in mind, Kurumu lifted her foot enough to remove her shoe.

She imagined the teasing over having a little girl in his room would continue well past dinner. The boys had tried to reason with the witch, blaming their deplorable living conditions on Gomitsuro. They even went as far as revealing the fact that Gomitsuro was an akaname.

Yukari would not be dissuaded. She demanded that the boys adhere to common sense and clean up their filthy rooms. She had easily spent as much time in Tanboshi’s room as Tsukune’s.

It only took a glance to know that Yukari kept her living quarters pristine. The small foyer was flanked with a compact kitchen on her left. There was considerably less counter space than their teacher’s since there was no island or wraparound. But there was nothing on the glossy black counters.

Locking the door for good measure, Kurumu touched the half wall that divided the foyer from the kitchen. A silver stove was directly on the other side with a vent hood mounted above. It was a full width stove that opened to the side like a refrigerator so as not to interfere with the rest of the cabinetry. Her mother used to have one of these German models before they moved to Kengamine, bragging about the luxury of owning something so unique.

The line of cabinets did not reach the far wall. After the refrigerator at the end, there was a small gap for the swing of the door in the far corner. That silver finish of the appliance below the counter next to the fridge was probably a dishwasher. She saw the faucet that stood up from the counter like a metallic candy cane without the stripes.

“Excuse me.”

Yukari made her way to the far door, slipping out of sight. Kurumu recognized the slight sound of the seat striking the tank. It had been hours and Yukari had expressed great distaste over the use of public facilities, admitting she had not even used the bathrooms on campus. Kurumu was thankful she had the presence of mind to take care of such things after they had eaten dinner together at Kurai.

Having little else to do, Kurumu wandered into the rest of the room on her right. The full sized bed in the corner was a surprise. A cerulean blanket was drawn over the mattress with carnation pink pillows daintily placed against the headboard. The corners of the ivory frame were topped with polished spheres that should detach. She imagined it could be turned into a canopy bed.

In the other corner was a small work desk. A couple picture frames were pushed to the back of the clear surface. Each portrayed a man and woman, though one pair was notably older than the other. Kurumu smiled, certain that the bald and wizened man with the silver haired lady was this grandfather she had heard mentioned today.

The sound of running water drew her attention back. Yukari exited the small room, no longer wearing the hat. The witch wandered past the sink and opened a low cabinet. Pulling out a kettle, she pushed the lever up on the nearby faucet while closing the cabinet with her foot.

“I’m glad you agreed to come over.”

Kurumu smiled. After a very noisy dinner with Tsukune and his neighbors, Yukari had invited her over. As Kurumu had already brought her things to dinner with no intent of returning to Tsukune’s room, she had yielded to the unexpected summons.

“It’s not like you asked me to spend the night.”

Yukari cut off the water and carried the kettle over to the stove. She pushed a few buttons and walked away.

“There were some matters I thought we should discuss.”

Kurumu shrugged slowly making her way back to the center. Despite the few furnishings, the room still felt small. It was bigger than any dorm room and maybe about the same size as Nekonome’s place. She had a passing, wistful thought about being at home with her mother.

“It must be nice to have a stove.”

Yukari frowned, glancing back at the kettle.

“I guess. It is convenient to avoid the hassle of the cafeteria.”

“So you make your own lunch?”

“Of course.”

“I wish I had possessed your forethought.”

Yukari waved dismissively.

“My grandfather worked as a teacher at Yokai for almost thirty years. He retired eight years ago.”

“He was a teacher?”

“A true visionary. He came to Yokai with the hope of creating a comprehensive history for all the monster races.”

Kurumu chuckled, thinking such a task far too monumental to undertake.

“I wonder how much extra it costs to live in one of these apartments.”

“As a relative of former staff, I was allowed to live here instead of the dorms. Normally these suites are not available to freshmen.”

Kurumu sighed, supposing that made sense. She eyed the kettle with envy.

“Yukari? Would you care if I came over to make lunches in the morning?”

“Lunches?”

Kurumu smiled, feeling flush at the thought of making Tsukune’s lunch. She had not found the time to make a meal for him since that first weekend.

“It’s more fun when you cook with someone and we could eat lunch together.”

“That’s illogical. If you live in the dorms, your parents are paying for a meal plan. Besides… I know you lack money for ingredients.”

Kurumu grimaced, wishing the brat was not so observant.

“If I bring the ingredients, could I use your stove?”

“I did not bring you here so you could further your agenda with Tsukune.”

“Well what more could we say about this Inui guy?”

“While that troubles me I am more concerned with your relationship. Surely you must know the dangers a Daughter of Lilith poses to the human male.”

Kurumu flinched, her whole body tense.

“How much do you know about those dangers?”

“Very little. The succubus is a rare creature with only human speculation serving as a guideline. The legend passed about the monster races does not differ greatly from the human versions.”

“I am aware of the legend. Did your grandfather learn anything different from my mother?”

“Your mother?”

“She was a student here…”

Kurumu sighed, realizing her error. There were many students in the academy. She was expecting too much.

“I was not aware of that. My grandfather made no official document on your species. In truth, he stopped writing them over a decade ago. There was too much resistance, despite the many that helped him compose his studies.”

“Could there be other studies?”

“Possibly. But sharing information between our races has always been more difficult. Humans have such a convenient network. Anything you may wish to know can be found with ease. But monsters… we live in perpetual fear of discovery. While my grandfather meant for his works to be beneficial to our races, he could not deny such information could be detrimental.”

“It’s not like all humans are bad.”

“I did not mean only humans would abuse such information. Besides, it doesn’t take all humans to be bad. Just enough of them. There were many decent humans burned with the witches at Salem.”

Kurumu lowered her eyes.

“So there’s nothing.”

“Are you not concerned that there is truth in that legend? What happened to your father? Is he alive? Is he human?”

“He… he’s fine. My parents parted ways after I was born.”

“Why?”

Kurumu clenched her teeth.

“You know how people are these days.”

“Is that what you were told?”

Sadly it was very close to what she had been told.

“Ms. Nekonome suggested I should visit with Ms. Sasayaki.”

“The science teacher? Why would your teacher suggest that?”

Kurumu sighed a deep breath.

“Ms. Nekonome was a good friend of my mother. They went to school together. She… thinks it would be smart if I found out if there was any truth to the legend.”

“That falls short of why she would care. Ms. Nekonome does not strike me as the sort to volunteer her students to scientific study.”

“Scientific study?”

“From what I understand, Ms. Sasayaki is greatly inspired by my grandfather. If rumors are true, her methods of furthering his work are hazardous.”

Kurumu blanched, recalling Ms. Nekonome’s warnings about the woman.

“Uh… maybe I shouldn’t…”

“I will accompany you.”

“You will?”

“Of course. I am also interested to know if you pose a threat to Tsukune.”

“I’m glad you care.”

Yukari smirked.

“So would I be wrong to assume Ms. Nekonome is aware of Tsukune’s humanity?”

Kurumu stiffened.

“I… she might.”

“And as a friend of your mother’s, she may even know what happened to your father.”

What was the point? The girl was effortlessly reading through her.

“Until you have concrete proof that you are not a threat to him, I recommend ceasing all contact.”

“What?!”

“If you truly care for him, you should prioritize his safety first.”

“That’s not an option. Tsukune would be devastated if I abandoned him.”

“Maybe not. There’s a reasonable chance that he will not even know why he was friends with you if you give it enough time.”

Kurumu scowled, resisting the urge to wring the girl’s neck.

“That’s not possible.”

“I find it unlikely that your charm is limited to your gaze. If we start with the premise that all powers are driven by the brain, then why would your charm be limited to your vision? It’s not like your eyes send out signals. Normally the eye is a receptor built to gather information, not send it.”

“Well maybe my eyes are built differently.”

“Possible, but has not proven to be the case in other infamous monsters. The Gorgon, for instance, was thought to turn humans to stone with their gaze. But Ms. Sasayaki determined no biological reason to support that belief. A Gorgon’s eye is not capable of petrification.”

“How could she come to that conclusion? Did she take out someone’s eye?”

“She thought it would grow back.”

Okay, meeting with this teacher was starting to sound horrifying.

“As I was saying… I would adapt her hypothesis of a Gorgon’s power to yours. It is more reasonable to assume your charm is a powerful mental suggestion that can be conveyed through any medium.”

“I… don’t get it.”

“Your scent, your voice. Possibly even your touch. These are truer forms of communicating with another being.”

Kurumu shook her head. Was Yukari suggesting she could charm people with her voice? That was ridiculous.

“It only works through eye contact. It’s been that way for years.”

“That might be your misunderstanding.”

“Not really. I wasn’t born with the ability. It manifested and suddenly I couldn’t look any guy in the eye without it messing with him.”

“Again, a misunderstanding. Most people assume a gaze is a form of communication when it is physically incapable of passing information.”

“I’m the succubus here and I’m telling you that’s not how it works!”

“And I am saying if you broke off all contact, we would scientifically know whether or not my hypothesis is true.”

“You don’t break up with someone just to prove a point! What if you’re wrong, Yukari? Do you plan to tell him I’m backing off for his sake, when all you really want to know is if my charm is forcing him to be with me?!”

Yukari backed off, her hand creeping up to her chest.

“I… sorry.”

“How is that caring for Tsukune’s feelings? How is that putting him first?”

“Sorry.”

“How could you even suggest he wouldn’t want to be my friend? Do you really believe everything has been a complete lie?”

“Sorry.”

Kurumu sighed with exasperation. Yukari was standing with her head bowed so piteously and her eyes brimming with tears. What did the kid expect would happen pushing buttons like that?

“I’m the one that should be crying.”

“Sorry.”

Kurumu walked over and placed her hand on Yukari’s head.

“Silly brat. You know I have enough to worry about with that legend garbage. Don’t throw more things at me.”

“Sorry.”

“Is that all you can think to say right now?”

Kurumu managed a smile.

“I know. What was with that black kitten? I didn’t know you could do that.”

Yukari wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Well… isn’t that normal for a witch?”

“No scientific reason?”

“I could shift into something else. But every human story talks about black cats so I thought it would be most appropriate.”

“You’re such a silly child.”

Yukari scowled, lifting her arm up to knock Kurumu’s hand aside. With a deep breath, she turned a defiant look upon Kurumu.

“For the record. My coochie is not bald.”


	22. Feeling the Distance

Kurumu sighed, absently tapping her pencil on her desk as Nagamushi continued to ramble on and on in that useless language. How could he be so excited over vocabulary and proper sentence structure? Maybe he was one of those teachers that thought enthusiasm was contagious. His eyes must not be working, since there was not a soul in this room half as interested in this drivel.

Moka had not mentioned the marriage proposal this morning. She had inquired about what they had did afterwards which Kurumu effortlessly dodged with half truths about spending the day with Tsukune’s neighbors. She doubted Moka would press Yamabato for the exact times and it was not like they had immediately announced their arrival at the dorm anyways.

The Inui matter was something she should leave to Moka. If Moka did not want to talk about it, it was not her place to intrude. When they ate together, she would do her best to keep the subject away from that. She cringed at the thought of what Tsukune might say, since he had to be worried about that Rite of Ascension. He had almost blown their cover during breakfast with his lighthearted remarks of being fine with her sucking his blood.

She sighed again, knowing she should be paying closer attention to this subject she was failing. But it was difficult to keep focused on something foreign and unusable. Her thoughts kept drifting to what she should be do with what little free time the school day offered.

There was nothing she could do with Ms. Sasayaki today. Even if she managed to catch the science teacher in a lab room, which had to be either 1-14 or 1-15, she did not expect the woman to sacrifice her lunch on the whims of a student. The most she could hope for was scheduling a time for later.

Ms. Kagome had been adamant about her not skipping her special lecture, much to the amusement of her classmates. She had not even thought about that on Friday, since they had been in the computer lab with Tsukune while he wrote his article. She was such a worthless student, when she thought about it. She had spent all Tuesday in the infirmary and Friday had been such a mess. At least she had not fallen behind in schoolwork, despite not understanding it.

She glanced to her right. Genzouyaki was absent. That was fine since she felt like she should try and spend more time with Moka right now. It bothered her that Yukari and Inui knew more about Moka simply because they knew more about vampires. She wanted to be a closer friend whom Moka felt comfortable to share secrets with. She believed things might have worked out better if Moka had shared Tsukune’s secret with her from the start.

Thinking of friends, she wondered if Shirayuki was aware of the relationship between their mothers. It was a simple question she could ask before gym, which she suspected would turn up negative. It was not like her mother had mentioned anything about a Shirayuki and she could not imagine Shirayuki's mother having anything good to say, considering how things ended up. Still it would be worth at least informing the girl about their parents knowing each other, since she did not want to try her hand at feigning ignorance if the subject ever did manage to come up. She wondered if Ms. Nekonome had ever spoken with the girl. She had not thought to ask.

Ugh, why did school have to be so boring? Ikazuchi was being martyred over some phrase they would have to translate on a test. How many times was Mr. Nagamushi going to make the guy repeat it? She underlined the sentence in her textbook, knowing she would need it later.

She wondered what they would talk about during lunch to keep the subject off Inui and Tsukune. Moka’s birthday was a little more than a week away so they could try to talk about that. Actually she could justify keeping Moka as the topic if they ate lunch with Yukari. She sighed, realizing how sad it was to use the club as an excuse for simple conversation.

She turned her wrist to confirm how much longer this torture would persist. At least another ten minutes. That sucked. She smirked, wondering what sort of club Mr. Nagamushi would sponsor. Probably something useless like motivational speaking. He had the enthusiasm for it.

She noted Nazohashi had her green and pink notebook out, well aware that the girl exclusively used that one for their club. That girl was serious about meeting that ridiculous deadline. Kurumu would feel bad if she ended up the only one unable to write an article in time.

She had to make progress on her track article today. She had shared her short interview format with Nazohashi this morning, thankful the brunette felt it appropriate for a Meet your Team article. She knew she could add Shindou and Taijin from Home Economics to the list, but that was still quite a bit short of that forty head count.

She absolutely had to get permission from Ms. Kibashiro today. With any luck that would also include a roster, though at this point it might simply be best to hang around after school and hit the girls up after a practice. Today was out of the question, since she really should get a couple of Ms. Kagome’s special lectures under her belt before angering that woman again.

Her thoughts wandered back to that eccentric Fukai girl that lived next to her. She had not seen the girl this morning, aware that they shared no classes together. She also noted that there was nobody in this class that wore glasses.

She wondered if there were types of monsters that could be distinguished by common traits in their human forms. She vaguely recalled all those lizard boys to have the same reddish orange eyes, though that may have happened after their transformations. She had not met a lizard boy or girl before, so she had nothing to compare.

It was not like her Junior High classmates had made a habit of showing up to school in human form so even her familiarity with some monster breeds would not help. Kengamine was tucked away in the mountains, so most of her experience was with Slyphs, Tengu and Harpies. Having seen how different those kids could be in their true forms, she could not imagine them having a common theme in a human form.

As the broomstick haired Yougan stumbled over a passage, Kurumu noted that Mr. Nagamushi was surprisingly tall. The redhead from basketball towered over the three ladies that taught their first three subjects, but looked about on equal footing to the gibberish teacher. His quirky hair style helped maintain his height superiority.

Red hair. She recalled that being a trait of all Shojo, but there was no way Yougan was like Sakamori. She was more like a strawberry blond while his fiery locks were a richer, darker hue. More like Asakira, the representative from Class 1-1. Actually her curls were kind of a middle ground. It was quite possible none of them were the same breed of monster.

She twirled her finger about an errant lock by her ear. Hair color was a known issue for blending in with the predominately black haired human culture that surrounded them. Her mother had made an early habit of darkening her hair to the appropriate hue, though that had fallen to the wayside after moving to Kengamine. Now that she was older, she could easily handle such deceptions with a little mental effort. She wondered if this was true for the other races.

It would not surprise her if most of her classmates had never set foot in the human realm. The young were strongly discouraged from meddling in human affairs, being told all sorts of falsehoods to keep them in line. She had been called a liar many times when trying to correct some of the most blatant nonsense circulating about humans. Humans rarely believed in monsters, let alone make plans to infiltrate monster homes and steal Tengu babies as ingredients for fine cuisine.

She wondered if Burumoto had ever gone on that human run he had mentioned. She smirked, recalling her attempts to run through the portal the bus used. It must have been a discussion among first years, since this place was locked down more firmly than Kengamine.

Mr. Nagamushi was going through his usual routine that preceded the bell. With a glance, she confirmed it was about that time. She had to take off quickly, but she felt compelled to mention this to Moka first. She started putting away her things, aware that many others were doing the same.

Finished with his ritual, Mr. Nagamushi snatched up the handle of his bag resting by the podium and carried it off with him through the nearest door. He had already opened it as part of his ending routine and he never bothered closing it behind him. Tomisaki was first to head out with Izanai and Yamabato not far behind.

Comfortable with leaving her things here, Kurumu got up and placed her hand on Moka’s shoulder. The vampire glanced up, curious.

“I got to check in with a science teacher. You two go on without me.”

Clearly having overheard, Tsukune glanced over his shoulder.

“Mr. Hakuru?”

Kurumu smiled and offered a quick wave. Without another word, she turned away and hurried out the back door of the classroom which had already been drawn open by other classmates.

There was always so much activity in the hallway this hour. With the hall being open to the level below, it quickly got noisy with all the chatter and shuffling of feet. Students were quickly filing out every open door, intent on the cafeteria.

Their backdoor conveniently opened up by the first of the four walkways that connected the upper level balconies. There was a stair that went down on her right, which was far more useful when heading to or from the main entrance. The second walkway which crossed by Class 1-5 was the only one that had stairs in both directions. Normally they would walk all the way down their balcony to use the last stairway down which was after Mr. Hakuru’s lab room.

After crossing this walkway, Kurumu joined an unfamiliar throng of students. She recalled the weekend conversation about half the first years swapping gym and elective periods, explaining why she did not recognize a single face over here. She felt silly having not picked up on this earlier, but she still had to wonder why there were so many girls in gym. Why bother combining her class with another and use all six gym teachers? There had to be twelve classes of girls out there.

Knowing that really did not matter right now, Kurumu picked up her pace. It was rude to force her way ahead, but most guys would let her by even without accidental charms. The throng was thinning out considerably at the walkway that crossed over to the bathrooms.

It was impossible not to notice the tall Ms. Kakeru from Class 1-1. The statuesque beauty was exiting Mr. Hakuru’s lab alongside a short girl with greenish blond locks that were so thick it looked like a banana peel. It even curled up in sections as if someone had peeled away the front so her tiny face could be seen. The pair quickly managed to start down the stair before the crowd thickened.

Masataka. She did not remember the first name, but they did share gym and home economics together. She was partnered up with the stringy, black haired Torokiboshi whom also was from Ms. Kagome’s class.

She did note that there was only a couple students leaving the lab on this side. The far lab next to Mr. Hakuru’s still had the doors shut. She grimaced at the thought of Ms. Sasayaki having already left for lunch. She knew Mr. Hakuru never left the lab before his students. He was probably still in there cackling with glee over whatever concoction he had created, oblivious to the departure of his class.

She smiled apologetically as she touched her way around a boy that had slowed for the line intent on the bathroom stairway. Others were doing the same, though it would not take long before the line down the last stair became similarly stagnant.

It looked like the last of the students from this side’s lab were departing, as one pointedly shut the door behind them. Deciding to risk the scolding, she angled over so she could jog alongside the wall. She knew the room on her right was the music room, which would be vacant this period. A collision with a student was unlikely.

A few students did note her act. The girls were suspicious of her motives while the boys were happy to see tits bounce. But as she passed the last walkway, most ignored her. She reached the closed backdoor to Class 1-15, sliding it open and ducking her head inside.

“Can I help you?”

A short, burly man wearing a thick pair of glasses over a broad nose stood at the front of the class. He stuffed a notebook inside his briefcase, closing it and spinning the locks with his thumbs.

“I… uh… was looking for Ms. Sasayaki?”

“That would be the class across the hall.”

Kurumu sighed, glancing over her shoulder at the dark lab room.

“Oh. Sorry.”

“You’re clearly not one of her students. What is it that you need with her?”

Kurumu paused at his remarks.

“I… what makes you say I’m not one of her students?”

The man chuckled as he picked up the briefcase. He moved over to the other door, closing it and turning the lock.

“You must be a first year with Mr. Hakuru.”

The man drawled out the name and turned off the lights. He started in her direction, creepily adjusting his glasses.

“A pity anyone has to learn something of value from that fool.”

She considered leaving, but did not want to be rude to him. She sensed nothing menacing about his approach, nor was he radiating with lust. He looked much like any normal man in a white, dress shirt and black tie. It was the way he adjusted his glasses for the third time that bothered her. They did seem small for how wide the bridge of his nose was.

“I am from Class 1-3 with Ms. Nekonome.”

The man chuckled, stopping shy of her.

“I am Mr. Katai, in charge of science for classes nine through twelve. To answer your former question, the classes Ms. Sasayaki handles would be in gym this period. I doubt you would have come through the backdoor.”

Kurumu frowned. That made no sense. Or did it. There were some girls from Home Economics that she did not see in gym, but she had dismissed that since she saw very little of the girls that were not with Ms. Hoshineru.

“An answer for an answer. What was it you wanted with Ms. Sasayaki?”

Those creepy mannerisms with the glasses would keep any sane person away. She forced a smile.

“Ms. Nekonome suggested I ask her some questions about my kind.”

“Ah, I see. Those two are still trying to carry on that Sendou’s work.”

Kurumu grimaced at the first tinge of lust.

“Such a waste. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

She backed out of the doorway, allowing him to close it. It was unusual to see a teacher lock up a classroom, though she supposed with the luxury of having a lab room dedicated to your class… it might be normal. She knew Mr. Hakuru and whomever had the lab room downstairs below Ms. Sasayaki did not bother with such securities.

If Ms. Sasayaki had no class this period, it meant she was either already at lunch or was in the teacher’s lounge. She sighed, watching the burly teacher walk down the balcony which was nearly empty of students. Perhaps she could skip tomorrow’s session with Mr. Nagamushi… as if. Skipping class to show up at the teacher’s lounge was not a winning strategy. She sighed again.

She guessed Moka and Tsukune must have taken one of the other stairs down, since she did not think her conversation with Mr. Katai had taken that long. She wandered back to the nearest walkway, approaching the stair on her right. She probably could catch up with them, though she doubted the other students would appreciate any form of cutting.

She knew classes one through four shared the same teachers. That eliminated all the girls from gym and Home Economics. No… there was Meirowasa. She was from Zaiten’s class, whichever one that was. Maybe if the girl turned out to have Ms. Sasayaki for science she could pass a request along.

As she started down the stairs, she saw there were so many students gathered below. She sighed, starting to understand how things worked. There were twelve classes in gym, but all those other girls she had not recognized were upperclassmen. It also explained how so many students arrived so quickly in the cafeteria, since gym always let out early so students could change. She wished Yukari had not been so stingy about making lunches for school.

As she reached the landing halfway down the stairs, she wondered if Yukari was sitting alone in her class with her homemade lunch. Her whole plan of talking about Moka with Yukari would be thrown off, if that girl could not be easily found. She paused, thinking it might be best to confirm things now since it was not like this line was going to get any longer.

Decisively she turned about and headed up the stairs. Most of the teachers would be gone at this point and she doubted any students would protest if she jogged down the hallway in this direction. She chuckled, shaking her head as she noted Mr. Hakuru was doing exactly what she had imagined as she passed the first door of his lab.

Kurumu’s eyes widened as a pair of girls stepped out of the bathroom. She slammed her feet down hard and skittered a couple steps with flailing arms as she tried to avoid the alarmed girls. She spun about, feeling how close the wall was to her body as she slipped through the narrow gap the terrified shorter girl of the pair had allowed her.

“Sorry!”

“Did you see that?!”

“I almost died!”

Kurumu staggered a couple steps but regained proper footing. She kept going, thinking it best not to explain herself. Both girls had been taller than her and notably endowed so there was no way a collision could have been fatal. As she slowed her pace to avoid any repeat incidents, she thought those two might be in her home economics class. There were not many girls with brown hair spotted with white patches. Maybe she should have stopped to prevent any gossip of trying to kill them.

Passing the first door of Class 1-5, Kurumu figured she should peek in her class before checking on Yukari. There was the chance Tsukune and Moka had not left yet, and it would only take a second.

She hoped Tsukune was minding his words as they had instructed him yesterday. She did not want Moka upset with her over spying on the date with Inui and they could easily use Yukari’s vampire knowledge to broach any sensitive subjects they might want to discuss.

Those two probably were not even in the serving lines yet. It was ridiculous that the staff did not open up a third line. There was about forty minutes to serve nearly eight hundred students. Most of the time they would have to walk out with carry bags since there was no time to return dishes and trays.

She arrived at the first door of her class. Nobody was in there. Smiling, she quickly walked the short distance to the next classroom, ducking through the open door. With relief, she quickly spotted the little girl seated in the center of the front row. Of course she would be wearing that pointed witch hat. It would be impossible to be inconspicuous even without it.

“Hey, runt.”

Yukari stiffened.

“I would appreciate you addressing me appropriately.”

“Fine, Ms. Chibi.”

“Don’t you have a trough to attend to, Ms. Chibusa?”

Kurumu grinned, not thinking that much an insult. She walked down the aisle between the desks, intent on coming up on Yukari’s left.

“I just wanted to make sure you were here since we were planning to eat our lunch with you, Ms. Hiratai.”

“Your attempts to insult me are just as flat.”

Yukari huffed, stuffing a morsel of eggs in her mouth while waving Kurumu off with her left hand.

“Don’t you want Moka to eat with you?”

Yukari swallowed down her bite, her chopsticks hovering over her bento.

“By the time the three of you come back I will already be finished. Shouldn’t you be more concerned with getting your lunch?”

“I am, but I wanted to make sure you would be waiting for us. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Yea, yea.”

Kurumu found the whole dismissive attitude charming. Confident that the girl would still be here, Kurumu slipped out the front door and started back down the hall. At this point there were a couple students returning to their classrooms with the carry bags. Finding little reason to hurry, she turned at the first walkway and headed down the stair despite it facing the wrong way.

Reaching the lower level, Kurumu looked about mildly curious which of these classrooms their prestigious president belonged to. She only managed a couple steps before her heart lurched. Without thinking, she darted into the open door of Class 2-2 to peer at the familiar couple from cover.

Inui was walking with Moka. The vampire was holding a lunch tray, which should not be possible. The two seemed to be having an amicable conversation since Moka was smiling. He must have bought Moka’s lunch with that infamous wealth all vampires possessed. She felt jealous.

There was no sign of Tsukune. She bit her lower lip as the couple slipped into one of the classrooms on this side. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back into the hall making a point to cross to the other side before continuing to the cafeteria.

A part of her wanted to know what was going on, but finding Tsukune was more important. She would be impressed if he was taking this well. She glanced through the open doors as she walked by, but did not see the couple in any of the rooms. She sighed, supposing she would have to ask Nazohashi about this later on. They had yet to confirm how much the brunette knew about Inui and anything they forced out of Morioka would be highly questionable.

By now the hallway was empty of students headed to the cafeteria. She sighed as she walked by the home economics room. She did notice Ms. Hitori was hanging out in her usual spot, flipping through her fashion magazines. She thought that a bit odd since it sounded like the teacher only had two periods of actual work.

Electing not to ask questions, Kurumu eventually passed by the long classroom with only the last length of a science lab to go. More students were coming back from the cafeteria and she could hear the laughter and chatter from the dining hall. She hoped it would not take her too long to find Tsukune in that mess, but she knew he could not have headed back to the class ahead of Moka. It would be best to look for him before getting in the serving lines.

Or not. As she rounded the corner she quickly spied Tsukune sitting up against the wall cradling his knees with his head hung low. He was missing the black stains hanging about his head that usually accompanied such scenes of obvious depression.

Several students were looking at the brooding guy, whispering remarks. She picked out a few, realizing the gossip about Moka dating another guy was going to spread like wildfire. Unfortunately Tsukune’s reaction was going to make it look like he had been dumped, which begged the question of where she fit in these rumors.

Managing a smile, she walked over and took a seat beside him.

“Hey.”

He grunted a response.

“I saw Moka.”

Another grunt.

“Yea, Yukari is going to be disappointed. I just told her we were all going to eat with her.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Come on. We need to get lunch.”

Tsukune tensed up.

“She said it was her duty.”

Kurumu sighed, relaxing back against the wall. She felt like this would be the perfect time to do something that would establish her position as his girlfriend, but she could not bring herself to do it. She had nothing to prove to these gossip mongers.

“Well, yea. Morioka was clear about making it her duty to get Inui to join our club. That’s all she meant.”

“I guess.”

“Tsukune… you can’t worry about what Inui said yesterday. What she does… it will be her decision.”

“So you don’t think this is some plot by Morioka?”

“We’re not going to abandon her, Tsukune. No matter what is going on, we will still be her friends. Okay?”

Tsukune shrugged, looking away.

“Moka’s important to me too, Tsukune.”

Kurumu slowly got up and held a hand down to Tsukune.

“Come on, let’s eat.”

Tsukune took a deep breath before taking her hand. He gave it a good squeeze as he picked himself off the floor.

“Thanks, Kurumu.”

There were so many things Kurumu wanted to do with him but she did not want him to be uncomfortable. Sadly something simple like staring him directly in the eye to reassure him could not be risked because of her stupid charm. She forced a smile, returning the squeeze.

“Did you know that Yukari makes her own lunches?”

“Huh?”

Kurumu tugged him in the direction of the serving line. He stumbled a step but did not let go as they made their way to the end of the line. She quickly noted the pair of girls from the bathroom mishap were only a dozen or so students ahead of them. They were giggling about something so it did not feel like an apology would be needed.

“Yea, she lives in those fancy suites by the senior dorms. She has her own kitchen and everything.”

“That sounds cool. I hadn't thought about it, but I never did see her in the cafeteria.”

“Well I've never seen her in gym either and I know for a fact that she should be in there with Ms. Kibashiro.”

“They're not going to force a little girl to keep up with teenagers in gym. Though I wonder what she usually does instead.”

Kurumu smiled. It looked like Yukari would have to end up the subject of conversation today.

“We should ask how things are going with her classmates. That was her class representative, so I could see it either way. It would have been different if she had handled them herself.”

“The might makes right mentality.”

She sighed, thinking that was not a topic they wanted to argue over. In her opinion, humans were thoroughly documented in practicing that. As violent as some monsters could be, there had never been an incident important enough to mention in history classes.

Well, there was Takiyasha's uprising, but that had been against the humans. Kappas were still criticized for their decisions to aid that woman's quest for revenge. Of course the human fairy tale involved legions of skeletons and a Gashadokuro, which was preposterous. Reanimation was not a skill among the Kappa and every teacher dismissed the involvement of the undead, chalking it up to human inaccuracy.

There were mixed opinions over the Gashadokuro sighting. These spirits were born of the overwhelming human despair that lingers after a bloody battle. They could not be summoned at will so the general consensus was the Gashadokuro had been born during the battle and had flailed about much like a newborn babe. That was assuming that a Gashadokuro had even appeared.

“It won't be an issue if we make a habit of eating with her. Nobody is going to pick a fight with a vampire over her choice in friends.”

“Another vampire might.”

“Not if he's planning to be a part of our club. Ease up about it.”

“I guess.”

The hovered at the end of the line which felt like it was at a standstill. A half wall divided the serving area from the rest of the cafeteria. The workers had lined up stations along the kitchen wall and this half wall, which did cut the time of serving students in half. But there was no place to put a third line, even if they wanted to. She sighed.

“What was your Junior High like? You mentioned it was about the same size.”

“I don't know. Normal, I guess.”

“Did they try to force everyone to eat at the same time?”

“Isn't that normal?”

“We did, but our school was about a third this size. And we only sent a couple students to the kitchen to wheel back a cart for our class.”

“That sounds a lot like what we had. To be honest, this is the first time I have been in a cafeteria. I figured it was because we were in a private academy that doesn't have access to government funding.”

Kurumu wagged her student card that doubled as her meal ticket.

“Yea, I had never heard of meal accounts before. My mother always packed my lunch because she didn't agree to the meal pricing. Did you know Moka would skip meals to have extra cash for things?”

“Huh? That's different. She must have attended some fancy Junior High.”

“So that's not normal for a government funded school? I did not think much about it, since my elementary school in Kengamine had operated the same way. I haven't been in a human school for more than five years.”

“I'm used to having an extra half hour for lunch.”

“Oh? It's always been an hour for me.”

“Yea, but you were a smaller school. When did your school end? We ran to four thirty.”

“Oh. We only ran to four, so I guess that makes sense. I'd be fine if they gave us another half hour and cut that last period in half.”

“Why would you want to cut out the human coexistence class?”

“Do you care for it?”

“Well, not really. I'm glad it's not a grade because I don't know anything about the monsters they discuss.”

“Half of us don't. They don't even have a textbook for the class. And I already figured out we won't cover anything about a special monster like me.”

“Whole heartedly agree with you two. It's a real waste of our time.”

The guy in front of them grinned, running his fingers through his short, feathered locks. His eyes held the same golden hue she had noted in the two track girls from her class.

“Oh, so you're a special monster?”

“Maybe. I'm Uchiyama Makoto from Class 1-11. You two must be the couple Kamitsuku keeps bringing up.”

“Yamabato? I guess.”

“No point denying it, Aono. Even a deaf man would have picked up your name from all the murmuring going on.”

Kurumu sighed, supposing this guy was bored and alone. It did look like most of the others ahead of them were at least partnered up in conversation.

“So how do you know our classmate? I thought Yamabato was here on his own.”

“He is? I wouldn't know much about that. I'm one of the new recruits for the film club.”

“And why would Yamabato be talking about us?”

“You are his friends, right?”

“Yea, he lives on my floor. I'm surprised he would talk about me.”

“There's not a lot of first year couples to talk about. Plus we have this guy in our club that likes to talk about Kurono.”

Kurumu grimaced.

“That's a bit creepy.”

“He said he's from your Junior High. You remember a guy named Kano?”

The name did not sound familiar.

“I guess not.”

“I wonder why Yamabato didn't mention it before.”

“Well Kano did not mention his reasons for talking so much about you until this weekend.”

Kurumu nodded, realizing the limited opportunities. She had barely spent any time with Tsukune on Saturday and he would probably avoid bringing something like this up with Yukari pestering him over proper manners.

“I wonder if we could form a petition.”

“Huh?”

“Propose cutting eighth period in half so we can have a longer lunch. Tsukune and I will probably only have like ten minutes when all is said and done.”

Uchiyama toyed with his raven locks.

“Yea, that isn't much time to find a quiet place for couple things.”

Kurumu picked up on that random desire and blushed.

“That might be a good topic for our Newspaper. It's probably better than having Yukari write something about Moka.”

“Uh, yea. Though this might not be a big issue for a girl that brings her own lunch.”

“Well maybe you should write it then. I mean… if the track article doesn't look like something you can get done this week.”

“Kamitsuku mentioned your paper. I wouldn't mind helping out with taking some pictures too. All the guys in the club thought it might be cool, since we don't have anything planned.”

“Is that normal?”

“It is when your club doesn't have any structure. We haven't met the three seniors of our club, so we’re being haphazardly run by a couple of our second years. That's the trouble when dealing with artists.”

“So how many are in your club?”

“I've met six but I heard we have ten. Three second years were running the recruitment booth and then there's Tamura, the other first year.”

Kurumu giggled.

“I don't think we need that many cameras. It's a newspaper article, not a photo shoot.”

“We have nothing better to do. Plus, my sister is a senior on the track team, so she’d probably say something if I didn’t make the offer. Anyways, you can find us in class 1-7 after school, if you’re interested.”

“Thank you, Uchiyama.”

This vaguely reminded her of the random conversation with Chousei a week ago. But that had conveniently ended with places to go. They would easily have to stand around for another ten or so minutes before reaching the start of the actual serving line.

“So you're from Class Eleven? Do you know a girl named Fukai? She wears glasses.”

“Oh, yea. She's a strange bird. A couple guys said she was taking Shop.”

“That's the one. She lives next to me.”

“She has a funny way with words. I can't tell if she's foreign or mixing words on purpose.”

“She didn't look foreign to me. She's not having problems in class? Other than her grades.”

“It surprised me to see her so low in our class rankings. She's always scribbling notes in class, so I figured she would be another smart kid.”

“She seems the sort that would get picked on with how she speaks.”

“Sorry, but I'm not the best eye for picking up on things like that. She keeps to herself.”

Kurumu shrugged, feeling like there was little else to go with that. She saw no point in suggesting him to recruit the girl to a club that was not likely to strike her interests.

“A lot of us do that. Coming to this school alone… well… it's intimidating to talk to people you don't know.”

“You seem to be managing fine. Two beautiful girls vying for your attention in the first week.”

“Every guy says that but it was dumb luck.”

Kurumu snorted.

“Dumb luck? I prefer to say destiny.”

“Every guy is envious of that dumb luck. We can't figure out how a normal guy like you can pull it off.”

“I won't pretend to know the answer to that.”

“Obviously it's because I love him. As for Moka, Tsukune is the first person to not ridicule her for being a vampire.”

“Vampire? So those rumors about her are true?”

“Kurumu.”

“It's no big deal if people know what she is. This is a monster school, so people will respect her for what she is. It's not like those human schools she's spent the past several years in, which would mock her for pretending to be a vampire.”

“I guess.”

“I think I get it. That's cool. So what's with the recent gossip about Moka finding a new boyfriend?”

“For the record, Moka didn't have a boyfriend to begin with. And I have not given her permission to date the new guy.”

Uchiyama chuckled.

“Permission? Did not expect that.”

“You should. I'm not going to allow some random guy I know nothing about to date Moka. He's only flirting with the idea of joining the club.”

“Now I feel bad for missing out on what happened.”

“It… wasn't that big of a deal. I overreacted.”

“I'll say. You looked mortified.”

“You haven't seen the guy. He's the real playboy type that makes me uneasy.”

“Ah well, man up, Aono. Don't let this ruffle your feathers. Besides, you still got one lovely lady in hand.”

Kurumu smiled, making a point to squeeze Tsukune's hand for emphasis. She glanced at her wrist, noting they had already lost a little more than half their lunch hour. At least they were almost there. Those two girls from earlier were at the depleted pile of trays.

“And did this lovely lady happen to come to Yokai with a friend?”

“Huh? I didn’t even know this Kano guy so I thought I was on my own.”

“A pity. It always help to have a girl in your corner.”

“I… don’t know what that means. What about you? Only here with your sister?”

Uchiyama waved his hand dismissively.

“I’m also living around three other kids that would have went to the same high school if we had all wanted to stick with Iretsu.”

“Iretsu?”

“That’s the only mentionable high school in the Okayama prefecture. There’s also a couple harpies from my Junior High but I never got along with those two. Always squawking about something.”

Kurumu smiled.

“So… class eleven. Do you have a Ms. Zaiten?”

“For math? I have Mr. Hino. You guys have Ms. Kagome, right? I hear she’s intense.”

That was a relief. That guaranteed Meirowasa was in Ms. Sasayaki’s science class.

“Tell me about it. She keeps pestering me because I skipped out on these special lessons. But I’m already in remedial classes so I don’t know why I should stick around for even more school.”

“I’ve noticed her in the halls. I have to say Yokai tries hard to bring in some of the sexiest teachers I have ever seen.”

“Is that so?”

“Back me on this, Aono. Your Junior High did not have any women even on the same scale as Ms. Kagome.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Ms. Nekonome and Ms. Sunao are both fairly average.”

“Sure there will always be timid mice like Ms. Sunao, but have you seen Ms. Komeshita? Or maybe Ms. Atsumoto? Talk about smoking hot.”

Tsukune laughed nervously, wisely keeping quiet on this subject.

“Oh, look, Uchiyama. It’s time to grab our lunch.”

Uchiyama smirked as he acknowledged Tsukune was correct. He passed by the trays without bothering to pick one up.

“I just hope next year I will get a better cycle. Six dudes and an ogre was a sad draw for my schedule.”

It was good that Tsukune was no longer sulking over the Moka incident. She would have thanked Uchiyama, but that would be quite out of place considering the last subject. She smiled, following on Uchiyama’s heels as they started picking up the selections for their meal.

She wondered what her mother would think about her account balance. She had missed several days of school and skimped on most lunches due to time constraints. Knowing that old hag, her mother would probably take it as permission to spend less on her. She sighed, thinking she should explain her thrifty patterns.

Taking one package of yakisoba bread, some napkins and a can of juice, she headed to the registers. A couple scans followed by a swipe and she was waiting on Tsukune to join her. It only took him a few seconds to make similar dining decisions and then they were on their way down the aisle on the dining hall side of the serving line half wall.

They said nothing as they crossed the loud area. She could tell there were several eyes on her, some with less than innocent intentions. She thought it amusing that the guys still found her interesting despite doing nothing to encourage their attention. Envy of Tsukune should have died out by now. She supposed not having a clear understanding of her being his girlfriend might explain some of those lecherous thoughts.

“He was a nice guy.”

Kurumu smiled.

“He felt a lot like Yamabato.”

“Felt?”

“I’m a succubus, Tsukune. Feeling guys is what I do.”

She sighed, feeling his interest in that.

“You know what I meant. He wasn’t actively after me. It was like being acknowledged as yours.”

Tsukune’s hunger for her only intensified. She smiled, comfortable with his silence as they turned right at the end of the half way to head back down the hall. It was only a short walk before they made a left into their long hall.

“So what did you need with Mr. Hakuru?”

“I was trying to meet up with Ms. Sasayaki.”

“Who?”

“She’s another of the first year science teachers. Unfortunately she didn’t have class fourth period, so I got nowhere.”

“Okay. So what did you need with her?”

Kurumu giggled.

“I was hoping she could give me a potion that would increase your stamina.”

“My stamina?”

“Yea. You’re going to need it when I finally get your parents’ approval.”

Tsukune shook his head, his desire simmering.

“What am I going to do with you?”

“Hopefully everything.”

Tsukune sighed.

“What was it really?”

Kurumu shrugged as they started up the stair that would take them to the bathroom walkway.

“Ms. Nekonome recommended I get her scientific opinions about a succubus. I understand that she was inspired by Yukari’s grandfather.”

“The guy that wrote about vampires?”

“Apparently he was a teacher at Yokai, which makes Yukari quite the celebrity among the faculty.”

“What sort of opinions are you expecting?”

“I don’t know. I’m a rare breed of monster, so there is not a whole lot of official evidence concerning my abilities. It’s all myth and folklore garbage. It would be interesting to know why my tail splits like that.”

“Couldn’t you ask your mother about that?”

“I don’t get the impression my mother knew a whole lot. Even if she did, I don’t expect her to cough up answers on demand.”

Tsukune pondered her words as they reached the top of the stair. Other students were milling about, some heading back to return the dishes. It looked like they would have at least fifteen minutes.

“I’m sure she means well.”

“Maybe. Ms. Nekonome certainly thinks so.”

Kurumu sighed.

“My mom… she’s dumb.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“I’m being nice, considering all the trouble she’s let me handle on my own. She’s lazy and irresponsible. I don’t think she’s worked a day in her life.”

“Oh. So those servants you mentioned are the ones actually paying for everything?”

Kurumu grimaced.

“Yea. That’s just how she is. Make a couple human slaves and leach off them. It disgusts me.”

Tsukune hung his head as they passed by the first classroom.

“I’m sorry.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s just… well, I know you don’t like talking about her.”

“She’s frustrating. I feel like she could have effortlessly done a lot of things better. So… she’s dumb. I won’t make the same mistakes.”

Tsukune nodded, reluctant to add anything. Kurumu sighed, thinking it would have been nice to hold hands but hers were full at the moment. She should have taken one of the paper bags. It was not like this juice was cold enough to form condensate.

They walked the remaining distance in silence, turning in through the backdoor of Sunao’s homeroom. Class 1-2 was a reverse image of theirs, so the backdoor of both classes were next to each other. There were quite a few students gathered in the room, some chatting while others were finishing their meals. She spied the short haired Unari sitting by the window near the back. She waved with her juice hand, though the girl’s attention was lost to the outside.

Three boys were seated in the front near the window, chuckling at each other. None of them bothered to look up as she made her way down the aisle on Yukari’s left with Tsukune in tow. She noted the familiar brunette that had swapped lockers with Moka was seated in the center of the class, exchanging words with the plum haired girl that had been with Hiboshi in the clothing store. Despite living on the same floor, Kurumu rarely saw the girl.

Perhaps feeling her attention, the girl stopped midsentence to regard Kurumu with auburn eyes. Her thin lips turned in a slight frown, causing the brunette to glance up.

“Oh, hey.”

Kurumu nodded, noting Yukari was still seated in the front. The little witch was jotting notes in a black book, oblivious to the chatter about her. As none of the desks near the girl were occupied, Kurumu gestured at the one in front of the brunette.

“Can I sit here?”

“Sure. Nobody sits by Sendou.”

Yukari huffed, closing her notebook and turning her nose up.

“Ms. Deshiko sits next to me.”

Kurumu smiled, taking the vacant seat behind Yukari. Tsukune wandered further up the aisle, catching Yukari’s attention. The witch promptly gestured to her right which only took him a second to catch on.

“So you guys are in the Newspaper Club?”

“Morisato!”

The brunette waved off the plum haired girl’s hiss.

“Visiting with your newest member?”

“You could say that.”

“Have you had any luck with your investigation? I’m worried about Miho.”

“Miho?”

“Kisurusu. From Class 1-5. She's a friend of mine. We are both in Ishigami's archery club.”

Kurumu frowned.

“The art teacher runs an archery club?”

“She's actually very impressive. But I wanted to clarify something about Miho's disappearance.”

“Were you the girl that reported her missing?”

“I was. We knew each other in junior high so she was living across the hall from me on the fifth floor.”

“Moka lives on the fifth floor.”

“I noticed. I'm Morisato Juri. And hissy over here is Hineri Kumiko.”

“I’m not hissing.”

Kurumu thumbed the cellophane wrapping about her lunch, aware that Tsukune had already started his. He had not bothered to turn the desk around, which made him feel disconnected from the conversation. She guessed that was fine since Yukari was more interested in watching Tsukune than her classmates.

“So you wanted to clarify something?”

“Oh, right. When I first reported it to the faculty, I said that she went missing after archery practice. But after talking with a couple other girls, I found out she had left before the practice was over.”

“You shouldn't encourage them. It will only cause trouble.”

Kurumu forced a smile at Hineri.

“We're only trying to help.”

“She's freaking out because she's terrified of her sister.”

“I am not!”

“Her sister is a senior with the Student Police. But they don't seem to be that interested in helping.”

Everything made a little more sense. This girl was close to Hiboshi, so that was why that fox had been talking down about the Newspaper Club.

“It's not like their club will be able to do anything either.”

“So are you with the Student Police?”

Morisato laughed.

“No way. She's too scared to join those brutes.”

“I am not! Why would I join that stupid group when I have softball? I don't have time to wander campus looking for a fight.”

“Deshiko is part of the Student Police.”

“Yea, we knew that. Do you have any ideas as to why Kisurusu went missing?”

Morisato shrugged.

“Not at all. The only trouble Miho ever got into was when she tried helping girls find boyfriends. And she had not started that mischief here. She was super nice to all the girls in the club so it was quite the shock when she vanished. I can't believe one of them might have done something.”

She could sympathize there. Girls always bullied each other, but having a hand in the disappearance of one that was being nice to everyone was crazy.

“And you can tell your president to stop skulking about our firing range. Unless he has a good reason to take our pictures, I won't hesitate to put another arrow in him.”

Kurumu chuckled, thinking he may have said something about a hazardous encounter with the archery club.

“You should have killed him.”

“Don't be stupid.”

The plum haired girl smirked.

“It's not stupid. That guy is trouble. Nothing but a camera pervert. We know him and Aono were peeping on us.”

“Tsukune was set up.”

Kurumu paused, knowing she could not follow that up with truth.

“Morioka wanted to be the only guy in the club.”

“Yea, I don't buy that. Fess up. You're only into this guy because he's extra perverted.”

“What?”

“A succubus feeds off lustful intentions. It takes a real pervert to keep one of your kind loyal.”

Kurumu scowled, starting to get up. But before she could, Hineri jerked forward and crashed her face against the desk. The room went silent. Morisato winced, timidly reaching over to the girl.

“Hineri?”

Yukari giggled.

“Looks like her fat head got too heavy for her shoulders.”

Hineri grabbed at her desk but could not lift her head from the surface. She whimpered as a puddle of blood started to form about those plum locks.

Yukari threw a dark look over her shoulder, grinding her palm against her desk. Trapped beneath her palm was the eraser end of her pencil. Yukari was always in the classroom. Getting a stray hair from any of these girls would be effortless when their desks were unoccupied.

“Yukari.”

Yukari lifted her hand, allowing the pencil to roll freely against her notebook. She flicked her fingers over the taped end of the pencil and Hineri suddenly jerked up, still gripping the desk. There was a small gash on her forehead and both her nostrils were freely dripping blood. The girl quickly covered her face.

“Hineri?”

The girl shook her head, moving her other hand to join the first. With a labored sob, Hineri got up from her desk and staggered to the front of the class. She did not pause at Yukari's desk, steadily making her way to the front door and disappearing down the hall.

“That was too much, Yukari.”

“What are you talking about, Tsukune? I didn't do anything.”

Kurumu could not protest. She would not pretend like she would have done nothing. Yukari had beaten her to it.

“You two should finish your lunches. You don't have a whole lot of time.”

Kurumu did not know how she felt about this. Mostly intimidated because of how quickly that had been handled. If this was the way she dealt with others in class… Kurumu managed a smile, picking away the plastic wrap.

“And that's why nobody sits by Sendou.”

“Did you say something, Juri?”

“No, Ma'am.”

She wanted to say something to Yukari, but the witch was right. With a quick word of thanks, she took her first bite.

* * *

“Stop!”

Meirowasa brandished a wooden spoon at the troublesome redhead though it did not stop the tipsy girl from pouring several swallows worth of sake into the bubbling water. The pepper haired girl ended up rapping the shojo on the knuckles to stop the deluge.

“But you alwash add mirin to udon.”

“That’s not mirin. That’s the mirin.”

Kurumu and Meirowasa had been in charge of getting all the ingredients from the dry storage room for their project today. Naturally Sakamori had decided to help them, though it was more of helping herself to an open sake bottle Ms. Hitori had apparently left out in the cooler. After the girl had taken a swig from the bottle, the teacher had surrendered the rest with a sigh.

The mirin was needed for the miso paste they had made first. Shirayuki was keeping watch over the small saucepan to avoid burning the topping. As the stove only had two elements, they would prep the last saucepan with the mushrooms and tofu after cooking the udon.

“Can you keep your partner over there?”

Kurumu shrugged, having no clue why Sakamori was bothering them. It was not like it mattered how much sake the girl added. They would be pouring most of the water out when the udon was done.

“Hey, thash mine!”

Shindou had snatched the bottle out of Sakamori's hands. With a smirk she walked over to their pot and upended the rest of the contents. Kurumu grabbed the handle but relaxed when she noted how little left there had been.

“If we're getting sake noodles, then so are you.”

“Asuka.”

Shindou grinned.

“I'm curious how bad you'd be if you were drunk.”

Kurumu snorted.

“I've been drunk before and nothing special happened.”

Mostly because she had passed out. She did owe Takada big for watching over her that night.

“That's boring. What about you?”

“Shirayuki never eats anything from class.”

“Huh?”

Kurumu smiled, playfully backhanding the oblivious girl's shoulder.

“She eats sweets all day long and never gains a gram.”

“The curse of a high metabolism. I have to pack down a lot of rice so I'm not wiped out halfway through practice. You're lucky.”

Shirayuki frowned, touching the white stick in her mouth.

“I wouldn't mind sitting out my gym hour.”

“You had more?”

Kurumu glanced over at the incredulous complaint. Sakamori was grinning as she screwed the top back onto her silver flask. Guessing by Meirowasa's distress, the shojo was not desisting.

“I heard from Hanetsume that you were doing an article for the team.”

“Yea. Our president liked the idea, though I didn't realize how many girls you all had.”

Shindou laughed.

“It's a versatile sport so we naturally will be a little bigger than the other clubs. Right, Yuu.”

The tall girl did not look up from their saucepan.

“Mmm. I heard that only band has a larger membership”

Kurumu sighed, thinking Morioka had gone with a real winner here.

“Break out some paper because I have nothing better to do.”

Kurumu grinned. Normally she brought nothing to class, even though they did discuss things that were worthy of jotting down. But aware that she could fit a notebook in her gym locker, she had brought the one with the other interviews.

“Can you watch this, Shirayuki?”

The girl nodded, moving over slightly. Kurumu picked up the notebook from the counter, freeing the pencil from where she had clipped it. Turning to the page with the other girls' notes, she cocked her head at Shindou while writing down the name.

“Shindou Asuka.”

“That would be the kanji of superior child of the summer. My birthday is the first of June.”

“That's not summer.”

“I didn't pick my name. I'm 158 tall and love fireworks. I really dig guys with blue eyes so it's pretty much a deal breaker if you don't have them.”

“Asuka.”

“What?”

“She's not running a dating service.”

“I'm sure she can give me two extra sentences. What other things did you want?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I was going with name, what you compete in, individual goals...”

“I don't have any individual goals so you can put that there. I'm only involved in short sprints like the hundred meter dash and the relay. I'm like stupid short for a Raiji.”

“I don't think she can write about your true form, Asuka.”

“Yea, probably not. You should note that we are from Yuusei of the Iwate prefecture. My uncle runs the local branch of Fairy Tale near there.”

“Fairy Tale?”

“Yea. You don't know what Fairy Tale is?”

Shindou laughed.

“You must be from some backwoods prefecture if you don't know that. Think of them like the JDF. It's an organization meant to mobilize if the humans threaten one of our settlements.”

Kurumu vaguely recalled some group enforcing the curfew and maintaining the barrier that isolated Kengamine from the rest of the world. She had assumed this to be a collection of village elders, but could readily accept the idea of them being part of a bigger organization.

“Shouldn't I mention how fast you are? Like maybe what your average time is.”

“Bah, nobody would care about that. You will be able to take individual pictures, right? You could really help a girl out.”

“I think we will try doing both and decide what fits.”

“Athletic is a must too. I don't know if I could handle a guy that thinks reading a book is a good time.”

Kurumu chuckled, supposing she could add that.

“Asuka only wants to avoid a guy that makes her feel stupid.”

“I'm not the one that almost landed in remedial courses.”

“That was a fluke. It was hard to take a test with her goofing off.”

“Huh? What did I do?”

Kurumu could only imagine what it would be like having this drunkard as a classmate. She did not have to ask if Sakamori landed in remedial classes, considering the girl had already volunteered that information last week. It was still a surprise that one kid had scored lower than the lush.

“I guess it's Yuu's turn. Taijin Yuu. That's Yuu as the kanji for friend.”

“Oh, oh, mine uses the hi from scarlet.”

Shindou giggled at Sakamori's enthusiasm.

“We weren't talking about you. Anyways, Yuu turned sixteen on the sixteenth of last month. She's eligible for marriage if you can find a guy taller than her.”

A wooden spoon bounced off Shindou's head.

“She's sensitive about her height.”

“Asuka, please!”

It was true. The blushing Taijin was one of the tallest girls in school. If Kurumu had not seen Taijin with Kakeru in the locker room, she would have thought her the same height. Kakeru was just a little taller.

“Hee hee. I bet I'm the oldest one here. I turned sixteen February seventh.”

Everyone but Shirayuki regarded the grinning shojo. The cut off for grade placement was the first of April.

“That would mean you were held back a year.”

Sakamori pouted, glancing up to the ceiling in thought.

“I was?”

Kurumu supposed it was possible that her parents had decided for a late start. There would always be exceptions.

“Is she like this in class?”

Taijin shrugged at Meirowasa's inquiry.

“More or less. Mr. Nagamushi tried to work with her the first couple weeks but he had her switch seats with a guy in the back row after the mock exams. She's such a nuisance.”

“I am a yokai.”

Shindou giggled. Technically the words were similar. Meirowasa picked up the pot and carried it over to the sink. She carefully poured out the boiled udon into a strainer while Taijin quickly set down the other saucepan onto the open element.

Kurumu took the cue that she should also be doing this. Setting down her notebook, Kurumu timidly lifted on the pot, quickly remembering how heavy the darn thing was. It sucked being in a group with Sakamori. It was effectively the same as being only paired with Shirayuki.

She wished Ms. Hitori had sent Fujinuma over here as they could have used an extra set of hands. They had not had any major projects since the Unabara twins had vanished. She hoped those two were safe as she did not like the thought of two waiting list girls getting their spots, even if that worked out for Fujinuma.

Thinking of absences, she mildly wondered what Mr. Hakuru would have done if Saizou had not been expelled. Their science lab conveniently divided into eight equal groups. Would he have ran with one group of four or would he have gone with two groups of two? Sunao's class had two vacant seats so it was not like he was running with classes that would always divide by three.

Leaving the noodles in the strainer, she returned to the cutting board which still had remnants of the nori she had shredded earlier. Shirayuki was already pushing about the melting lump of butter in their second saucepan. She had insisted on being the one to saute the mushrooms since her mother had never let her do any cooking at home.

It had been a convenient way to break into a question about their parents. Leading with her reluctance to cook for her lazy mother, she learned that Shirayuki had been denied any domestic chores. She would not go into great detail about it, and then things got awkward.

She wished she had not mentioned their mothers fighting over a guy. Shirayuki was under the impression that her father had been the only man in her mother's life. Kurumu had quickly backpedaled over the issue, dismissing it as something her mother would not have talked about since it had not been that important.

Shirayuki had two little brothers.

Kurumu sighed. She had not talked with Ms. Sasayaki. She had barely talked with Moka. They had run out of time during lunch, though the atmosphere Yukari had created with the Hineri squabble would have made meaningful conversation difficult. And if Thursday night was any indication of her state of mind after Ms. Kagome's lessons…

She sighed again.

“Hey. You didn't finish Yuu's interview.”

“Huh? Oh, right. What events are you doing?”

“I prefer the throwing competitions. Discus, javelin… that sort of thing.”

Kurumu smiled.

“I'm surprised. I thought you would do the same things as Kakeru.”

Shindou laughed heartily.

“Yuu isn't coordinated enough for hurdles. And she's too much of a scaredy cat to try pole vaulting.”

Yuu snorted as she stirred the mushrooms about the saucepan.

“Scared the pole will break. I'm not light.”

“You're not fat. You could afford to put on weight in a couple places.”

Kurumu flipped open the notebook to add the information.

“Did you have any goals?”

“I'd like to place in our meets.”

“You mean when you guys compete against other schools? When does that happen anyways? Who do we compete against?”

Shindou clucked her tongue as she hopped up to sit on the middle counter dividing their stations.

“I don't remember the schedule. Isn't the first meet in September?”

Taijin nodded.

“Like all the other sports, we compete with the flagship school of each prefecture in the Chubu region. It kind of sucks, since I wouldn't mind getting a shot at our home town's school, but they're part of Tohoku.”

“Wouldn't it be easier if you only competed with other schools in this prefecture?”

“Who would that be? Flagship schools are the only ones that have class sizes large enough for fair competition.”

Yuu nodded.

“I think we have four meets and one regional. The regional is the only one that matters. That's the one that determines who goes to nationals.”

Kurumu chuckled, shaking her head.

“I should have asked those questions already.”

Shindou bounced a mushroom off her notebook.

“You should not write that down. Anybody in a competitive sport will know that stuff. I'll try to find out what day we host our meet and the time and place for the regionals.”

Kurumu shrugged, still thinking it was important information for those not in a sports club. She would ask Nazohashi… well that girl would not know. She sighed, supposing Morioka should know whom these other schools were. He might even be able to give an estimate on their strengths.

“Please don’t put that in my face. I’m still queasy from last period.”

Meirowasa pushed the giggling Sakamori aside. The redhead brandished the open end of her flask at the girl, giggling louder when she was pushed away again.

“Meirowasa. You have Ms. Sasayaki for science, right?”

The girl stared at her, pointedly keeping the redhead at arm’s length.

“Yea.”

Kurumu started to jot down a quick note for the teacher.

“Would you mind passing a message to her? My teacher said I should get in contact with her but I have no idea what her schedule is like.”

“I have her second period. If you need her sooner than that, you should talk to someone in the faculty office.”

Kurumu shook her head, finishing the note and tearing it out of her notebook.

“I wouldn’t say that it’s pressing. Give her this and let me know her response.”

Meirowasa took the scrap of paper. She looked it over and then stuffed it in her breast pocket.

“Is there a reason you want to meet with her?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“My teacher wants me to help them learn about being a succubus. Apparently I'm this big scientific mystery.”

Meirowasa licked her thin lips, tousling her peppered hair.

“Well, be careful with her. As a girl that grew up in Mononoke, I've heard some creepy stories about Ms. Sasayaki.”

Shindou perked up.

“Oh? This sounds interesting.”

“Count yourself lucky. She’s scary.”

“It has to be more interesting than alphabetical order Hakuru.”

“Wash wrong with that? I get to be with my friends Senjo and Taijin.”

Kurumu grimaced.

“She’s your lab partner?”

Taijin shrugged.

“No exceptions.”

“What kind of stories are floating around about this Ms. Sasayaki?”

Meirowasa frowned at Shindou’s enthusiasm.

“Well… you know how Mr. Nagamushi has a solid black iris for his left eye?”

The girl waited for Taijin to nod.

“That's because it's fake. He was helping her out in an experiment.”

Kurumu immediately recalled Yukari’s words about the woman.

“This would have something to do with a Gorgon's Eye?”

Meirowasa grinned.

“So you have heard of it.”

Shindou frowned.

“Wait. Mr. Nagamushi is a Gorgon? How can he teach class? Wouldn’t he turn us all to stone or something?”

Meirowasa shrugged.

“That's the rumor that’s been passing around for as long as I can remember. She wrote a thesis about Gorgons, dismissing several myths about their race.”

“Monsters dabbling in science is like a priest dabbling in witchcraft. We don’t need to know how things work.”

“Aren’t you the least bit interested in what parts of your DNA allow you to do different things than other monster breeds?”

Asuka chuckled, waving her hand dismissively.

“I’m only interested in finding some matching DNA to keep our bloodline going.”

“Spoken like a pureblood.”

“Oh? You know it’s not much a secret that a lot of local kids from Mononoke are monstrels. Parents can’t find any place willing to take in mixed breeds.”

Meirowasa stiffened.

“Your point?”

“Nothing really. You’re the one that brought up purebloods.”

Shindou bounced a mushroom off Meirowasa’s head.

“I just don’t want to deal with the hassle of living with a delicate human. I know they’re needed to bring in fresh blood to stale lines, but pampering is a man’s duty. My brother can find him a nice human girl. I want a Raiji.”

Meirowasa managed a smile. She turned her eyes to Kurumu.

“I'd advise not letting her get too close to anything you want to keep.”

Kurumu smirked, hoping Yukari’s offer of accompaniment still stood.

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Shindou wagged a finger at her.

“You probably want to do the other track girls in here, right?”

“Others?”

Shindou hopped down from the counter.

“Of course. Nomura and Kazehana are over at station twelve. There’s also Hazumi from sixteen. And we have three of our second years at station four.”

Kurumu nodded, not wanting to betray her ignorance. Like gym, she had initially thought this class to be exclusively first year students. But it made more sense if they were a mix of years. These second years probably had taken something like art or music as their first elective.

“Nomura is nice. She’s my partner in class.”

“Did you get partnered with Kakeru?”

“Sort of. There’s three of us in Class one so we all sit by each other. Kakeru doesn’t say much.”

Kurumu nodded, not expecting any different. She glanced over to sixteen, dreading a trip over there. Sure enough, two of the three girls were the couple she had nearly crashed into.

“So which one of those is Hazumi?”

“The tallest one with the short hair.”

Thank heavens for small favors.

“I’m ready for the udon. Kurono.”

Kurumu smiled. They still had to finish up here.

* * *

“Stand.”

Kurumu got up, feeling like this day had ended too quickly. There was still a lot of things she wanted to talk about with different people. She especially wanted to talk with Moka, but she had spent too much time with the track girls in home economics. It was the first time she had ever been late for gym. Well, not counting the times she had outright skipped it.

“Bow.”

With Genzouyaki absent, there had been an uneven number of girls in their group. Having lost her regular partner, Arashimideru had borrowed Dokiniji which in turn forced Nazohashi to pair up with Moka. Since Shindou had been running late with her, she offered forming a triple with Bikiyama.

Bikiyama was the other track girl from Kagome's class that Shindou had mentioned, and also happened to be one of the girls from Kurumu's floor. After her impromptu interview with the snaggletoothed girl, Bikiyama offered sharing dinner with the promise of bringing Uchikawa, another girl from their floor, and any other track girls she could rally up.

There had been no time to get a word with Ms. Kibashiro, but Shindou promised to speak with her coach about a roster and schedule. The second years had confirmed the number would be forty one with fourteen first years but only ten seniors. They expected to be larger than band next year.

“Dismissed.”

Those second years had shared way too much information to process. Yamasaki and Samurakami were part of a long distance relay while Hashimoto was into the long and high jumps. Ms. Kibashiro encouraged all girls to focus on two or three events and had been running the track program for the past six years. Only first place winners got to advance to nationals, so there was more rivalry within their own program than with the other schools. There was a scoring process to compare the schools, but this was only used to determine which school earned the privilege of hosting regionals next season. Shimote near Mr. Fuji in the Shizuoka prefecture had held this honor for more than a decade.

“I'll be going now.”

Kurumu was startled by Moka's declaration. She quickly held a hand up to stop the vampire, whom had already gathered her things.

“Wait. Where are you going?”

“I'm helping Ms. Ishigami with something.”

Kurumu frowned. She had hoped to sit down with Moka and Yukari for some needed conversation during club.

“You didn't mention it. What exactly does she need?”

“Well, since I have asked multiple favors from her, she sort of wanted me to model for her.”

“Model?”

Moka blushed.

“It's just for the week.”

Kurumu did not like this, but Tsukune was not making a fuss. She wondered if he already knew about it. They did have art class together.

“What about your article?”

“I have already started on it. I'll give you guys a copy for review when I think it’s finished.”

Kurumu sighed, noting the other students were already starting to file out. At the start of this period, Ms. Nekonome had allowed Nazohashi to write up the duty roster list for the week. She had not seen it, but she knew Hanetsume and Dokiniji were today's pair. Naturally Tobuyoku was staying behind to help her track partner.

“I guess I'll tell Inui you won't be here today.”

“Oh, he already knows. But thanks anyways.”

Kurumu could not manage words as Moka slipped behind her. She turned around but could only think to return the wave before the vampire ducked out the back door. If Inui knew about it, then Moka must have known about this thing with Ishigami before lunch. The longer she thought about, she realized Moka must have known about it all weekend.

It probably slipped her mind. Yea, that was it.

Shaking her head, Kurumu wandered over to Tsukune’s desk. He still had his notebook open, though he was sketching someone again. The woman that was forming under his pencil strokes did not have a hair style that matched any of the girls from class.

“What are you drawing?”

“Huh? Oh. It’s our art assignment this week.”

He closed the notebook, setting his pencil aside.

“She is having your class draw portraits?”

“Not really. We’re supposed to draw a picture of something important to us.”

Kurumu huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“That wasn’t a sketch of me.”

Though she was glad it was not a sketch of Moka either.

“I’m trying to draw my mother but it’s difficult. You’d think after spending nearly sixteen years under the same roof that I could draw her face without any effort at all.”

Kurumu smiled. There was no reason for her to compete with his mother.

“You should ask your parents to send pictures.”

Tsukune laughed.

“With the way the mail works, I wouldn’t get one in time for the assignment. Guess I’ll have to keep trying till something feels right.”

Kurumu placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. She could sense he was not very happy about things.

“Come on. We should talk with Nazohashi about what article Yukari should write for the paper.”

Kurumu walked up the aisle to the front, thankful Hedoyami had already departed. That was one guy she did not want to attempt walking around in these narrow aisles. She realized Burumoto must have also left, a little surprised the guy had not tried talking to her today. He had been fairly amicable last Saturday.

Supposing she may have come across as unapproachable today, she shrugged it off and walked over to the board. She glanced down the names, noting the pairs. It looked like the brunette had heeded her advice and paired Hedoyami with Yougan tomorrow. She sighed, casting a glance over at Nazohashi, whom already had her club notebook out.

“Arashimideru. You paired him with Arashimideru.”

Nazohashi glanced up.

“It worked out that way. It was rather convenient that she also is his lab partner with Moka.”

Kurumu sighed, shaking her head.

“You could have paired him with Takurami.”

“That would have entirely broken the pattern of pairing the lower half with the upper half. Mr. Takurami scored the same as Aono. Swapping things around would have only paired Aono with Ms. Chousei instead.”

“So pick one of the other guys from the upper half.”

“You clearly don’t remember the list. There weren’t any more guys in the upper half of the class.”

Kurumu snorted. One of the joys of knowing all the names in class allowed her to know the four that had yet to be paired.

“Maybe, but you have to be getting to the point where the upper and lower are about the same. You should have paired him with Yamabato. They’re friends.”

“What’s going on?”

Kurumu sighed, gesturing for Tsukune to look at the board.

“She paired you with Arashimideru when she should have paired you with Yamabato.”

“That’s no big deal.”

“Oh, so you like her now?”

“Well… I won’t say I hate her. It would be strange to have Tora change it after she wrote the roster on the board.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Aono.”

Kurumu sighed. It was annoying that Nazohashi had decided on this without consulting her. It was not like the girl was unaware of Tsukune getting along with Yamabato. Nobody would have thought to challenge it. Well… maybe. Yamabato might have been upset getting paired with a guy over a girl, since it sounded like he was guaranteed to get either Shirayuki or Tobuyoku.

She supposed there was some logic in going with Arashimideru, considering they were already lab partners. It was not like she had to worry about that girl hitting on Tsukune. The silver haired girl practiced Shirayuki levels of antisocial behavior, rarely initiating dialogue. Short of something major happening like Tsukune saving her life… there was no cause for worry.

It did not take long for the class to empty of all but club members and the trio of girls handling the chores. As Yukari slipped in through the backdoor, Kurumu wandered over to Nazohashi’s desk, purposely sitting on the top. The brunette shifted her notebook over, continuing to scribble more notes.

“You know I never asked about how things went with Morioka on Sunday.”

“We found nothing.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“We did nothing you might be thinking about.”

“You know, I think he might be serious about not pursuing Moka anymore. He wouldn’t bring someone like Inui to our club if he was.”

“Yes. Moka was quite happy about there being another vampire in the school.”

“Far too convenient if you ask me.”

“Afternoon, Ms. Sendou.”

The little witch settled in Natsudera’s desk.

“It’s unlikely for another vampire to be in this school, let alone be in the same class as him.”

“I see no reason to dismiss something over it being improbable. It is equally unlikely that an eleven year old will score the highest on a high school placement exam.”

“Those are entirely different circumstances that cannot be compared.”

“So what do you know about this Inui?”

“Only what Moka has told me.”

Kurumu sighed.

“You spent all of yesterday with Morioka and did not bother asking about the guy that might join the club?”

“There was no reason to. Other matters were more pressing.”

Kurumu smirked.

“I imagine some pressing was going on.”

“Remarkably crude as always.”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out, causing Nazohashi to shake her head.

“Hello, lovely ladies.”

Morioka grinned as he strolled in through the front door with one hand thrust in his pant pocket. He paused at the desk for a moment. After thinking about it, he moved over to Tomisaki’s desk and planted his free hand on the top.

“So what’s on the menu today?”

Feeling his desire over her elevated pose, Kurumu pointedly crossed her legs to deny him the casual pleasure. She noted he had deliberately turned his back on Tsukune.

“Moka plans to finish her first draft tonight. I put mine on a thumb drive for you to review.”

“I… don’t know what that is.”

“It’s a USB drive. You can buy them in the school store. I’ll show you what I have in the computer lab.”

Kurumu chuckled upon feeling Morioka and Tsukune’s interest, flinching when Nazohashi’s notebook swatted the small of her back.

“Oh, computer lingo. Right. Just print it out so I can read it.”

“There’s no printers in the lab. We would have to pay to use the one in the teacher’s lounge.”

Morioka shrugged.

“Keep a track of your expenditures and I’ll see about having you reimbursed. I’m not reading something on a bright screen. It hurts my eyes.”

Kurumu snorted, thinking the guy was being too picky. Still, she was intrigued at the mention of reimbursement.

“We have funds?”

“A couple of the businesses already paid up for their ads. Normally we would also have a budget with the student council, but I doubt Ms. Nekonome managed to negotiate a large amount when I was the only member of an inactive club.”

Nazohashi sighed.

“We don’t have a budget. I already checked when I asked about the fliers.”

Morioka stroked his chin.

“We may want to change that. We’ll see how our first paper does before making any demands.”

“There’s no way we can print as many papers as we did fliers. We’ve already committed almost two pages to advertisements with the last part for contacts. Were you planning on taking up the whole front page with your article? I know you wanted to include the pictures of the girls.”

“Maybe. We could probably squeeze one of the other articles on the front page. We can decide among us which one is the most deserving.”

“I believe Ms. Sendou has Aono’s article on her thumb drive.”

“Ah yes. Definitely want to have that near the back.”

“Hey!”

Morioka waved a hand at Tsukune.

“I’m saying I don’t want your article on the front page, Tsukune.”

“You haven’t even read his article.”

“I don’t need to. We’ll run it on the second page, if that makes you happy. Any progress on your article?”

Kurumu noted the two track girls wandering off for the backdoor while Dokiniji gathered her things at her desk beside Yukari. She waved at the pair but failed to get their attention.

“I managed to get something written for twelve girls from the team. There’s no way we can do individual pictures. If we include the coach, they have forty two members.”

Morioka grinned.

“Sounds like you have your work cut out for you.”

“Sounds like you should have encouraged me to do a different club.”

“What’s the point stopping after getting almost a third of them?”

Kurumu crossed her arms about her chest and pouted.

“But yea. I guess we will have to do a group photo.”

Nazohashi pointed at him with her eraser.

“Are we going with the eight page count you wanted? That would halve the amount of papers we can afford to hand out.”

“I’m beginning to doubt we have the content for that. I remember the old club pumping out eight pagers regularly with the occasional twelve, but we used to have almost twice the size of members. I was measuring up the size of sheets that feed that printing press, and it got me worried. Unless I have some real juicy thing to write for these missing girls, we might have to add a third article just to fill out the front.”

Kurumu frowned. While she had been in the printing room, she had not asked any questions about paper and whatnot. She only recalled that their page count had to be divisible by four.

“Well… you still haven’t decided what Yukari should write. We kicked around an idea of doing an article on Moka-“

“Denied.”

“That was quick.”

“We can’t single out a student for an article. That was one of her rules and I have no good reason to betray it.”

“You’re running an article on Ms. Ishigami.”

“Faculty is a different animal. I understand you live in the private suites.”

“Yes. What of it?”

“You should write an article about the fabled Tsuchinoko that is rumored to live near those suites. We had this guy last year that kept trying to find it and would publish regular articles over his exploits. Returning students would get a kick out of seeing something on that familiar topic.”

Yukari pursed her lips.

“What exactly would you want me to write about? I could easily write a few pages about all the documented reports over that mythical creature.”

“Please no dissertations that resemble your Grandfather’s works. Be… entertaining.”

“Entertaining.”

“Yes. Write so that people will enjoy what you’re writing about.”

“That does not help. What exactly do you want?”

Morioka sighed, gesturing at the witch.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you just try finding the thing? That’s what Hirochi used to do.”

“Very well. I shall find this Tsuchinoko.”

“That’s the spirit.”

Nazohashi leaned back in her chair.

“We should start building the layout on the computer. Could you give me what you have on your article so far? I want to see what sort of information you are working with.”

Kurumu shrugged, hopping off the desk.

“Sure, I’ll go get it.”

She started down the aisle to the back.

“I have a laptop if you guys want to use it.”

“You have a laptop?”

“You don’t?”

“I was using the computer we have in Baratoge’s study room. I wish they had more than two.”

“It would save you the trouble of walking to the computer lab all the time.”

“True, but we can’t all use your laptop. If everyone needs to make revisions, we will have to use the computer lab anyways.”

Kurumu pulled her notebook out of her schoolbag and headed back to the group.

“And here I wanted to experiment with the Users function.”

Ms. Kagome stepped through the open door before Kurumu could start down the aisle. She paused, knowing why the math teacher was here.

“I still have club.”

“Mr. Morioka. Can I steal Ms. Kurono for the day?”

His grin told her everything.

“We will need her notebook, but we can spare the rest of her.”

“Excellent. Come along, Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu sighed, setting the notebook on Genzouyaki’s desk. She hoped this time around she would not entirely black out till next morning.


	23. Brush with Authority

Kurumu gasped as she jerked her face up from the pillow. There was a moment of confused panic, but she quickly yanked the sheet aside that was covering her head and torso. Why was her ass bare?

She yawned, thinking that last one had to have been the weirdest bombardment of random segments. In the past, the only girls to manage a cameo in her dreams were the ones that tormented her. It was never a welcome experience. She wanted more dreams with Tsukune.

She groaned, wondering why she was ridiculously wet from such a strange dream. They had been cooking food for a school café hosted in the classroom adjacent to the home economics room. Somehow that had been Yukari’s classroom, which was impossible but dreams rarely made sense. She had been running back and forth between the two rooms in a maid outfit, which she had never worn but knew looked awesome on her because Burumoto had said so. Maybe it had not been Yukari’s classroom. The little witch had always been in the room, constantly having her take dishes back.

She squirmed a little as she recalled Sakamori had been molesting Meirowasa. She had been longing for Tsukune to do the same with her, but he had never shown up. The dream had ended on a weird note of Yukari sitting on her face because of her poor service. Though she had not seen anything, her dream had convinced her of Yukari being naked beneath that skirt.

This was not the sort of thing she wanted in her mind while masturbating. She whimpered, slowly picking herself up from the floor. She wanted to shower. Her whole body was too hot and her nipples were sore. In her heightened state of arousal, someone probably could make her orgasm just by fondling them.

Retrieving a towel and her bathing essentials, Kurumu started for the door. She paused only to confirm the time, realizing she was up a whole sixteen minutes before her alarm. She could take her time before heading downstairs to bother Moka.

The good thing about being up this early was that there was little chance of her having to wait for a shower. While there were six shower stalls, everyone liked to take their time and things usually became hectic the closer it got to seven. With it not even being six, Kurumu did not feel it necessary to cover up as she propped her door open with the deadbolt.

It was the same as last Thursday night. She remembered accompanying Ms. Kagome to the disciplinary room. They had some tea together and then nothing. She had no memory of coming home or eating dinner. She grimaced at the turn her stomach made with the thought of food. Hot, hungry and horny was a bad combination.

She wondered if Bikiyama had rallied up those girls as promised. That would suck. She needed to mention this inconvenience to Ms. Kagome. Clearly these special sessions were interfering with her free time and it was not like she had noticed any improvements in her understanding of algebra.

There was water running in one of the other stalls. Mildly curious whom would be up this early, Kurumu slung her towel over the shower door as she slipped into the stall across from the one in use. Whomever it was had a blue and white flower patterned towel.

As Kurumu turned on the water, she realized the girl was singing something. She had a cute voice but she could barely be heard over the falling water. The only words Kurumu could pick out was the English ones the girl often repeated. It sounded like part of a chorus, so this Groovy Magic was probably the name of the song.

Her hot skin felt a lot better with the cool water running down her. She winced as she started to lather up her body with the body soap she had squirted on her loofa. Damn, they were so tender. She had barely grazed her nipple with her arm and it ached so much. She was not even going to try cleaning her nethers with another girl nearby.

Thinking it might help, she forced her bladder to empty. It did cut back some of the tension, and that girl was getting a little louder with her notes. Kurumu chuckled, rinsing the suds off her torso and sloshing the water about her feet to the floor drain. Thinking the floor was as clean as it would get, she set her bodywash down and picked up the conditioner bottle.

She wondered why she had slept stark naked. Last time she had come out of the trance in regular sleep clothes with her hair still up in its ribbon. She did not mind letting her hair down for sleep. She sighed, aware there was no way to know what had happened.

Per the instructions on the bottle, Kurumu worked the conditioner into her locks and started her count to three hundred. This peach scented mixture was supposed to set for three to five minutes and she figured she would count faster than an actual second.

Sometime after the first hundred the other girl finished up. She heard the swing of the shower door and bare feet plodding against the ceramic tiles. She dutifully kept up her count, wondering if she should get around to meeting some of the girls on her floor. Sure she had Moka she could study with, but she might want to hang out with Shirayuki or Genzouyaki more, considering how early Moka insisted on turning in.

She hoped Ms. Sasayaki would be able to meet her today after classes, since she did want Yukari with her. She still was not entirely sure how this woman could help her, but any information about her body could be vital to her relationship with Tsukune.

She imagined one of her friends had her notebook. As she started rinsing out the conditioner, she wondered how they had decided to use her information. Nazohashi probably had decided on a way to present it. They may have even taken care of that dinner with Bikiyama for her. She really hoped Nazohashi did not think she was intentionally avoiding her club responsibilities.

Turning off the water, Kurumu pulled her towel down from the door and started patting her hair dry. When she was satisfied with the task, she gave her body a quick brush off before cinching the towel about her bosom. It was not a long enough towel to cover other areas, but it was not like a guy would ever be on their floor.

Retrieving her bathing supplies, Kurumu headed back to her room. It was still too early, so she encountered nobody on the way. Once back in her room, she relocked her door and started to get dressed. She paused in her task only to turn off the alarm that sounded while squeezing into her lingerie.

As she slipped into the uniform that had been tailored for her, she wondered if she could take the rest of her shirts to that clerk. It was not like she could know when she might need her wings, so having them all fitted would be a worthwhile investment. Those services might even be worth mentioning in the newspaper, since every Tengu and harpy would benefit from it.

She was unsure what exactly he had done, but this jacket accommodated her bosom without being tight everywhere. He had grabbed them a bit much for fitting purposes, which she hoped he would not need to do if she wanted her other jacket fixed up in a similar way.

Thinking of catalogs, tight fits and birthdays, Kurumu wondered if she could ask her mother for money this time around. It would be too awkward to allow her mother to shop for the things she had in mind. There would be questions and it would be the same hassle she had put up with when she had mistakenly reported her relationship with Takada.

She wished these apartments had been installed with mirrors. It was such a chore fixing up her hair with only her pocket mirror. While she could use the long mirror above the sinks in the communal bathroom, she did not want to risk an encounter with Hiboshi or Hineri. The fox girl already glowered at her twice last week and she could not imagine things being any better after yesterday’s antics.

Satisfied with her appearance, she quickly tidied up her room and strapped her schoolbag about her body. She locked up her room almost a quarter after the hour, aware that a couple other girls were milling about the hall in differing degrees of dress.

“Good morning, Kurono.”

Kurumu managed a smile for the glossy black haired girl that wandered by. Touzoku from class one had short hair with cowlicks to both sides that bared her carefully sculpted eyebrows. Her sapphire eyes lacked the sparkles and enthusiasm the girl normally exhibited during their gym class.

“Good morning, Touzoku.”

The girl yawned, covering her mouth as she passed in only a towel. Her bushy, two-toned and ringed tail wagged about, clearly marking her as a Tanuki. She lowered her hand to offer a slight wave.

“Bright and early.”

“Early, yes.”

“Good start for a good day. Fight on.”

Kurumu smiled at the remark, somewhat familiar with Touzoku’s behavior from gym. As she walked for the small open area in front of the elevator and stairs, she noticed Touzoku had ducked into room twelve. For some odd reason she had thought the girl had lived further down the hall near Hineri and Hiboshi. She still had no idea whom was in fourteen.

Feeling no reason to wait for an elevator, she pushed her way through the door into the stairwell. She smiled as she bounded down the stairs two or three at a time. It was only a few seconds to get down to the fifth floor lobby and over to Moka’s door.

“Moka.”

She knocked on the door, glancing about. She spied the two girls that were paired with Morisato in home economics. The shorter one had inky black locks that fell almost to her ankles. If her mother had not reassured her that the kejoro was some silly myth humans had made up, she would have sworn this girl had to be one. Then again, those myths always spoke of a woman whose face was hidden while this girl looked remarkably docile.

“Hey. Wake up and open the door.”

The two girls walked into the bathroom, the tall one exchanging some words. Though she was clearly intending to shower, that girl still had her copper locks done up in those many braids. Kurumu wondered if she ever took them out, since it would be far too time consuming to manage that hair style on a daily basis.

“Moka.”

As she pounded on the door again, the portal swung open. The vampire groaned, scratching the sheep patterned sleep shirt below her left tit. Baby blue drawstrings dangled from the waistline of the matching pant.

“Room service.”

“It's too early.”

Kurumu strolled inside the room, forcing the vampire to retreat. She closed the door.

“You turn in around eight. You can't be tired.”

“It's not even six thirty.”

Moka plodded off to the center of her room, stretching her arms over her head. She yawned.

“Maybe we can kill some time by giving you a sponge bath.”

Moka groaned, shaking her head.

“I’ll pass.”

“Hey. When was the last time you bathed?”

“Huh?”

Kurumu chuckled, holding both hands up defensively.

“Not meaning anything bad. I've never seen you take one in the morning so I was curious.”

Moka pulled the top over her head and dropped it aside. She stifled another yawn with her hand near her mouth. As usual, the silly girl was still sleeping in her bra.

“I take them at night before I turn in.”

She tugged open her closet and retrieved a shirt.

“If I remember to.”

Kurumu smirked at the honesty. She strolled further into the room, clasping her hands behind her back.

“Did you see Tsukune last night?”

Moka had already fished both her arms into the shirt and was buttoning it up. The vampire shrugged.

“Inui caught me after my session with Ms. Ishigami and took me out to dinner. It was much too late to visit with anyone when I got back to the dorms.”

Kurumu sighed, supposing that meant Moka would not have any idea what she might have done in Kagome’s trance. She watched as Moka finished putting on the skirt and jacket to complete the uniform. Perhaps it would be best to simply come out with it.

“We followed you around for a little bit on Sunday.”

Moka paused for a bit before straightening her jacket.

“Inui did mention Tsukune was following us.”

Kurumu smiled with a shrug.

“It's nothing bad. We were just concerned that he might do something to you.”

Moka sighed.

“How much did Tsukune hear?”

“He kind of lost consciousness when Inui mentioned marriage.”

Kurumu noted how Moka flinched at the word marriage. She slid a hand up the strap on her bag, tilting her head.

“I don't mind if you two become an item. He seems nice enough.”

“That was only a suggestion. We can't make those decisions.”

Kurumu was not surprised by that. They were vampires after all. She had been so focused on finding a guy for Moka, that it had not crossed her mind that Moka probably did not have the freedom to pick a partner. No doubt this encounter with Inui had reminded Moka about these limitations.

“Are you avoiding Tsukune?”

“Have I been? I guess.”

Kurumu stepped in, placing a hand on Moka’s forearm.

“Moka, it’s okay. I’m not sure what’s going on, but you’ve been out of it for days. Even before Inui and whatever it is you have to do with Ms. Ishigami.”

Moka bit her lower lip.

“I… don't know how to be around Tsukune anymore.”

“Why?”

“What do I do? I wasn't meaning to hide the truth about taking blood from him.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“You mean not actually needing blood? You know, for a girl that blabs so much about being a vampire, you did keep quiet about that fact. I was mad at you, but I’ve lost the fuel to that fire.”

“Kurumu. I'm sorry.”

“As for Tsukune, I don’t think he would be upset at all. If this Inui thing had not happened, he would probably be fantasizing about having both of us.”

Moka blushed fiercely.

“Kurumu! Don’t say such things!”

Kurumu let go of the vampire and shrugged.

“He’s a boy, Moka. A healthy teenager. The blood sucking only bothered him when he thought he was being used for food. If he found these things out before Inui got involved, Tsukune would be very happy.”

“Wait. He knows?”

“Well, Yukari did have to explain a few things when he did come to. So yea, he knows a little about blood claims and this Rite of Ascension.”

Realizing they had only been talking these past couple minutes, Kurumu gestured to the door.

“We ready to go?”

Moka sighed. She pawed at the sheets to push her clock up.

“I guess. Still too early. The alarm hasn’t even gone off.”

“Well, there won't be a line for breakfast.”

“We can probably stop by Tora's room. It's early enough.”

Kurumu supposed that was true enough. She slipped out of the room, holding the door open for Moka. The vampire slung her bag over her shoulder and grabbed up her keys and card from the counter. Once Moka had stepped through the doorway, Kurumu let the door close.

Kurumu was a little jealous at how well behaved Moka’s hair was. Sometimes it required some straightening, but it often seemed to take care of itself. She wondered if it was the length or volume keeping it in order, or if this was some natural trait of a vampire.

“Moka. Do you remember nothing from your childhood?”

The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing an empty car. Moka frowned, stepping inside first.

“Of course I do.”

“But you told Inui that everything was sealed away.”

Kurumu pressed the button for the second floor.

“Oh. I guess you heard that part.”

Moka cupped her chin as the doors slowly closed.

“Well, I don’t have any memories, but I think she does. Sometimes I see these things, like fragments of a dream. I knew the man in the picture, before Mother told me that he was my Father.”

Kurumu nodded, recalling Moka’s file. Knowing how much it bothered her that secrets were being withheld, Kurumu hoped this was okay.

“Moka. I think she’s your stepmother.”

Moka laughed, shaking her head.

“That’s silly. Mother has always been there. Even in those dreams.”

Kurumu frowned, certain she had seen the file correctly.

“Does the name Akasha Bloodriver mean anything to you?”

“No. Why?”

“It's… nothing. Ms. Nekonome said she was someone your family would know.”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened with their usual pace. Kurumu stepped out first, feeling a bit awkward bringing this up. Clearly these were things that a girl with only six years of memories would not be able to answer.

“There are others that frequent my dreams. I did mention another woman to my Mother, but she did not want me talking about her.”

“Then why is it silly to believe she might be your stepmother? That other woman could be your actual mother.”

“Because that could bring shame on the household. I’m sorry, Kurumu. I’m not saying you are wrong, but I don’t know if it matters. After all, Mother is Mother. She’s the one taking care of me.”

Kurumu shook her head. She wanted to voice the angry thoughts that crossed her mind, but that would only trouble Moka. It was difficult enough on Moka right now that throwing up facts like being in the care of a guardian and rarely seeing her family were not strong indications of motherly love. At least she was not living with them while being saddled with all the household chores to complete the Cinderella image.

“Morning.”

Kurumu paused to wave at the girl in the hall that had greeted her. Kazehana was one of the track girls she had interviewed yesterday. She had long, jet black hair that came down in two tails that started above her ears.

“Morning.”

Moka offered a slight wave as the girl slipped by them down the hall.

“Who was that?”

“Kazehana from my Home Economics class. She is one of the track girls.”

“You seem to know a lot more people than I do.”

“You need to be more sociable.”

“I guess.”

Kurumu sighed.

“Maybe you should try a group article next time. The only reason why I know half these girls is because I had to.”

“That doesn’t sound very nice.”

Kurumu thought about bringing up her past but decided it was not worth the effort. It was not like she was having the same issues from Junior High.

“Yea, yea. Nazohashi? You up?”

Kurumu regarded the door, noting the bolt. She tugged on the knob, drawing the door open.

“She might be in the shower.”

Kurumu walked into the room, noting it was the same as any other. The room was unsurprisingly immaculate.

“Have you spoken much with her little devil?”

Moka lingered near the door, allowing it to settle back on the deadbolt.

“What?”

“That child of hers. She said she used it like a security system, so I thought for a moment it would be guarding her room.”

“Tora has to take down the barrier to leave it.”

Kurumu nodded, realizing her mistake. She glanced at the small counter, spying her notebook. She grabbed it up and flipped through the pages.

“Don't look through her things.”

“It’s my notebook. I let them borrow it last night before Ms. Kagome had her way with me. I woke up naked this morning unable to recall a thing. I doubt I even ate dinner.”

Two more names had been added at the end of her list. Uchikawa Akari, the girl Bikiyama had mentioned, and a Matsudera Nikki. Both girls were from Ms. Komeshita’s homeroom class 1-8. That put her at fourteen, most of which were freshmen. She was really needing to visit one of those practices if she had any plans for getting the upperclassmen done.

“Have you tried talking with your other half?”

“Huh?”

Pressing the notebook to her chest, Kurumu leaned back against the counter.

“About Inui. Surely she would have an opinion about him.”

Moka shrugged.

“He did try to remove the rosary when I told him about the seal.”

Kurumu chuckled, recalling how unsuccessful her attempt had been.

“Inui thinks I should be facing my demons head on instead of relying on some magical seal.”

Kurumu tucked the notebook away in her bag. Straightening up, she tapped the rosary dangling from the black choker that never left Moka’s throat.

“She’s a different person than you are. Silly boy. How can you face her when you disappear the moment she’s released?”

“I’m not sure he was talking about me.”

“What? He wants that dangerous thing to stay out?”

“How dangerous is she?”

Kurumu balked at the inquiry. This was a woman that had threatened to kill her. Sure, she had tried to kill them, but that Moka had made those threats after beating her down. It always scared her when that Moka came out, because she knew that Moka could kill. She imagined the only reason that thing held back was because it would cause trouble for this Moka.

“Dangerous enough to not be brought out lightly. I do agree with her. Tsukune is too hasty to force her out when things get too rough for him. He needs to have more faith in you, as you are, and in me.”

“I suppose.”

“Even Tora for that matter.”

“What about me?”

Kurumu glanced over at the lime green towel clad girl. She was holding a shower caddy laden with pink bottles and a dark green loofa.

“Have you even seen Moka’s true form?”

“Huh? She’s a vampire. It can’t be much different from how she is now.”

Kurumu supposed that was true.

“Can I go in my room? I’d rather not stand naked in the hallway.”

“Aw, is Nazohashi embarrassed to be seen naked?”

The class rep huffed, effortlessly slipping past Moka. Kurumu toyed with the thought of grabbing the girl, but let her by unmolested. She was already comfortable with her pose against the counter and was unsure how Moka would feel about such antics.

“I saw you took care of my dinner date with Bikiyama.”

“You’re lucky you had written that down in the margins. I only did it because you never came back for your notebook.”

Kurumu shrugged as the class rep put away her shower things and discarded the towel. The girl was intentionally keeping her back to them, probably worried about any comments on her breasts. It still was obvious that the girl paled in comparison to Moka or herself, but this back view had Kurumu wondering if this might be Morioka’s thing.

“Morioka’s a wolf. You think he’s into doggie style?”

“Ms. Kurono! Please spare us the crass comments.”

“I wonder if dogs and cats can mate.”

Nazohashi shook her head, moving the closet door fully open and stepping in to bar the view.

“I’m not a domestic cat and he’s not a dog, so there’s no comparison.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Now that I think about it, Moka didn’t get to see your true form. Think you could show her a little tail?”

“Judging by your earlier comment, you’ve seen enough of my tail.”

“I did pick up from Yukari that she was a sphinx. Isn’t that like a winged lion creature?”

“Yea, you would think a flying lion would be frightening. But this girl can’t fight or fly.”

“A sphinx is also an intellectual creature. There has never been need of me to develop physical strengths when the human world values a sharp mind.”

“You should probably think about developing some of those strengths.”

“I will do what is necessary for gym class.”

Two loud raps sounded on the other side of the door before the plum haired foreigner poked her head about. She smiled her usual manner with her eyes closed. She twirled her staff about, resting it behind her head and across her shoulders.

“Bright early, you two. Am I interrupt?”

“Good Morning, Ms. Deshi.”

The foreigner smiled, gesturing at Moka’s rosary.

“Please, DeDe.”

Kurumu had not seen the girl since the incident with Yukari. She had worried a little that something bad might have happened, but with everything else going on, she had sort of forgotten about it. On Saturday, those girls had said something about Deshi telling on Wanibuchi, which effectively had him removed from his position of class rep.

“You okay? I thought you were supposed to watch over our club.”

“Oh, much better now, yes. She very mad.”

Kurumu frowned, unsure how badly injured that meant.

“You haven’t been missing school?”

“Oh, one day. Very scary. Thought would die.”

“You attacked a member of the student police!”

Moka winced. After a tense moment, she offered an apologetic shrug.

“She’s not going to remember it, Tora. She can’t remember things when she’s in her true form.”

“What?”

“That’s why she can’t tell you what happened back when she fought with Morioka.”

“Yes. Very interesting bauble.”

“Well… I hope you didn’t say anything to your superiors.”

Deshi laughed.

“How could? Though should go watch club again. She scary. They more scary.”

Nazohashi straightened the collar of her shirt as she shut the closet door. For some reason she had elected to wear the sweater top today, which did not look all that bad on her.

“Thank goodness for small favors.”

“Witch girl more problem. Hurt Hineri’s little sister. Very bad.”

“When did this happen?”

Kurumu sighed.

“Hineri was stirring up trouble with Tsukune at lunch yesterday. Yukari was a bit forceful in making her be quiet.”

“I swear. You really are a bunch of monsters.”

“Of course. Shall go?”

“If you three would ever get over my doorway.”

“We’re waiting on you.”

Kurumu chuckled, turning about and shooing the foreigner back a step so she could properly exit the room. Moka lingered at the door, holding it open until Nazohashi had slipped out with her things in hand. Only a step ahead, Kurumu lead the group back to the stairs, not giving them the option of stopping for the elevator.

“So we will be seeing you during our club meeting today?”

“Of course.”

“We plan to run our paper by the student council before publishing. You really don’t have to trouble yourself.”

“Have little else do. They not happy I stay away.”

“I still haven't finished my article, Tora. Inui kept me out pretty late.”

“That’s not a big deal. Tsukune is the only one finished with his article, since Senior wanted me to change up my presentation and lengthen mine.”

Kurumu smiled. She had read Tsukune’s first draft back on Friday. It had been a warm subject that anybody new to a school could relate with. She pushed open the door at the bottom of the stairway and headed for the front door.

“I will try to get something done tonight, even if I have to stay after my commitment to Ms. Ishigami.”

“If you could, that would be great. As is, it’s looking like we might not even have enough content for an eight page paper.”

Already having put on her shoes before leaving her room, Kurumu lingered at the small ledge that preceded the automatic door. She stepped down into the recess and sat down, waiting as the others retrieved their things.

“Well, we could always run individual portraits of the track team.”

“I think that would set too high of a standard for future papers.”

“Maybe, but I heard band was the only other club with that many members.”

“I’ve seen your notebook, Ms. Kurono. I know you’re thinking how to use up space, but individual portraits feels too cheap. We might break the group up by grade to be more like any future club we do. That’s the best compromise we should make. It would be a nice way to use most of a page and then we could use coach comments, schedules and the rest of your notes.”

Kurumu shrugged, getting up and heading for the door.

“How many clubs does this school have?”

“I haven’t asked yet. I kind of skipped out of the Saturday meeting to confirm our ad commitments with Moka.”

“You are allowed to do that?”

“I asked Tomisaki to sit in for me. He only had to take some notes.”

Kurumu supposed that would be fine, though she was a bit surprised Nazohashi had shuffled the responsibility onto someone else. She favored the class rep with a grin.

“So… you working on a different guy in case Morioka doesn’t work out?”

She chuckled at the look Tora threw at her.

* * *

Before classes began, Kurumu had halfheartedly checked to see if she could catch Ms. Sasayaki in her science room. Considering none of the science teachers had a homeroom, it was not that surprising to find the room empty. Feeling a little relieved as she had come alone, Kurumu had decided to stop in class 1-5 to remind Meirowasa.

She almost ended up late for her first class. It turned out that two more track girls shared Ms. Zaiten’s homeroom. Izumi Kasui was a warm girl with curly, shoulder length hair and a welcoming smile. The coral haired girl had answered all the usual questions with a cheery disposition, before turning things over to her stoic partner.

Kirizumi Kiyomi had short, ragged locks that were tinged the slightest of blues. It occasionally shifted on its own accord. There was a distinct impression that the girl did not get along with Izumi and that she was only tolerating the interview because Kazehana, whom also happened to be partnered with this pair, encouraged it.

As Ms. Zaiten walked in to take attendance, Kazehana had skimmed through the notebook before offering a comment about the last freshmen girl. Aori Tomo was part of Mr. Gyousan’s class 1-11. Then tardy bells had rang out and everyone had been shooed back to their appropriate desks and classrooms.

Kurumu watched Ms. Kagome scrawl another equation on the board. She had to wonder if those special lessons were working. Sure, she only had two sessions under her belt, but it did not appear to be making this class comprehensible. Now they were talking about stuff with a, b and c.

Kurumu copied the equation as she glanced aside at the empty desks. Shirayuki had missed so many classes at the start of the year, but not seeing her today was worrisome. Genzouyaki was also missing another day. It scared her with thoughts of having to add them to the growing missing girls list.

There were too many things going on. She had a track article to write, missing girls to find, Tsukune to cheer up about this thing going on with Moka, some sort of scientific analysis on her body to figure out how safe it was for Tsukune to have a relationship with her, Saturday remedial lessons and her special sessions with Ms. Kagome. She wished things would have been simpler like only having to worry about how far she should take things before meeting his parents.

She felt too antsy to let things persist another hour. The time between classes was long enough for her to check with Meirowasa about Ms. Sasayaki. Even if the girl had forgotten, she might be able to catch the teacher before she wandered off to wherever it was teachers went when they did not have classes. She had heard the teacher had long, black hair that reached all the way down to the ankles, so it would be hard to miss such a woman.

She knew she really should try to focus on this lesson. Perhaps if she did well on a couple worksheets, Ms. Kagome would let her pass on the whole after school thing. She could not imagine juggling this with newspaper all the way to midterms. She at least had to mention this whole blacking out thing, since she doubted that was a coincidence.

Looks like they were back to x and y equations. She was starting to think that it did not even matter. She watched the steps, sort of grasping how the two equations combined worked to the solution. This was weird. In math, five was always five. In algebra, it seemed x could be whatever it damn well needed to be.

She wondered what Tsukune was thinking about. He looked like he was paying attention to the blackboard, but it was not like copying notes was fully engaging. He did not seem as troubled as yesterday, so maybe he had reconciled with the notion of Moka being with Inui. Maybe.

Tsukune had been deprived of any contact with Moka this morning. Before they could even settle in at the table, Inui had ghosted to their spot with the sole purpose of spiriting Moka away. With an awkward apology, Moka had excused herself to be with her fellow vampire and had not made it to class until six minutes after the tardy bell.

She had advised Tsukune to not bring up Inui when talking with Moka, but it seemed like he was not going to talk at all. She had shared some idle banter with Moka during the class breaks, but it was clear Moka was not interested in talking either.

Kurumu sighed. At some point she would have to drag this Inui guy aside and explain the situation. Things would not improve if he did not make an effort to be friends with all of them. She probably should do it soon because there was no telling how things would turn out if the little brat decided this development interfered with her Moka fixation.

She still needed to talk with Ms. Kibashiro about handling the track team’s upperclassmen. Obviously the best time to take pictures would be right before practice. If she could arrange a time with the coach, she could easily pass word on to Yamabato to have his film club ready. While she did not know all the members of the film club, Yamabato and Uchiyama both felt more capable than their lecherous president. She considered not even telling Morioka about the shoot.

The big issue with this would be the unquestionable fact that it would interfere with these odd sessions Ms. Kagome had thwarted upon her. She supposed she could simply sneak out that particular day. It was always easier to beg forgiveness than to ask permission.

She wondered what they should do for Moka’s birthday. It was next Tuesday. With curfew, they probably could not do anything grand, but she could see if Yukari was up to hosting a party. The brat was troublesome, but she did have a big enough place for their small club. She also had a stove, so they could even bake a cake if one of them knew how. That would be nice.

She was still toying with the particulars of that party when the bell announced the end of the hour. Realizing she had not taken any notes for the past fifteen or so minutes, Kurumu set her things aside as she got up from her chair. With a brief stretch that caught the attention of a couple males, Kurumu smirked as she headed out into the hall.

Even though most students stayed in class during the breaks, there were quite a few students in the hall with those coming back from science labs, those heading out for gym and the handful stopping for a casual bathroom break. It suddenly made sense why all science classes started in the homeroom before moving on to the lab.

She remembered that guy saying something about Sasayaki’s students having gym this hour, so she quickened her step. She slipped in the back door of class 1-5, spying the pepper haired girl at her desk in the far row by the windows. Meirowasa had slung her schoolbag across her shoulder and was stuffing her notebook inside. It looked like many of the other students had already left.

“Hey Meirowasa.”

The girl glanced up with a confused look. Her head tilted aside, she walked over while clutching her bag close.

“Oh, hi Kurono.”

“You take your things to gym?”

“I don’t like leaving them unattended.”

Kurumu had done the same thing back in junior high, which had her mildly wonder if Meirowasa was bullied. Shindou had mentioned something about local kids being monstrels, which had bothered Meirowasa. Now that she thought about it, the girl always had her bag in home economics instead of just a notebook like most other girls.

“So did you speak with Ms. Sasayaki?”

“Yea. I guess she’s been expecting you, though she usually leaves the school after her last class. I knew she did a few things at the hospital, but it sounds like she’s over there regularly.”

“Any chance I can see her today?”

“I doubt it. She said it would be best to meet before school in her lab.”

Kurumu shrugged, supposing that was the best she could hope for.

“Hey… Kurono.”

The deflated delivery turned her attention to a pair of girls that had stopped near her in the hall. It was unusual to see the brat walking with anyone, though it did seem more like they just happened to be in the same place. Yukari clearly was not displaying any encouraging emotions to cheer the other girl up.

Unari lacked all the tough girl aura she had carried with her on their initial meeting. Her marigold eyes were rimmed with redness and her hair was a tousled mess of sienna locks.

“Have you… maybe seen Nerume?”

Kurumu glanced aside, a knot building in her throat. Reflexively she grabbed her chest, her heart aching with worry.

“You checked her room?”

Unari bowed her head. The girl sniffed and wiped the back of her hand against her eye. Without thinking, Kurumu stepped in and hugged the girl. She felt Unari relax a bit and then she started whimpering.

“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. Where could she be?”

Kurumu tightened her hold, taking a deep breath to keep her own emotions from flooding out. She was scared. Scared for her classmate, her new friend. Scared that anybody could vanish.

“Ugh. Could the two of you not do this?”

“Is this the little witch girl I’ve heard about?”

Kurumu exhaled and loosened her hold on the trembling Unari. After making sure the girl could stand, she favored the runt with a scowl.

“This is Sendou Yukari, the most insensitive child in the school.”

“And what did you think embracing Unari would accomplish? She missed her first two periods, unable to calm down from this morning’s outburst. Are you trying to cause another?”

“I’m trying to comfort her.”

“With a hug? I fail to understand how meaningless sentiments rectify the situation.”

“It’s okay.”

Unari sniffed again as she straightened her shoulders.

“I know… I guess you know as much as I do. I’m sorry.”

Shaking her head, the distraught girl hurried down the hall.

Kurumu scowled again, shaking a fist at the brat.

“You know, it’s pretty normal to hug someone when they’re feeling bad.”

“I did not say it was unusual. I’m saying it does not help.”

“She’s pretty strange.”

“Among other things.”

“And you are?”

“Uh, Meirowasa Tokori.”

“Rank 119. Slightly better than Tsukune.”

“Did Unari say what happened?”

“I would presume that she told the faculty. The only thing she managed in class was unintelligible bawling.”

“She’s a friend from her junior high. She doesn’t have anyone else, Yukari.”

Yukari held up her hands with a shrug.

“I don’t understand.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if someone is so important to you, why would you let them out of your sight?”

“Well… you can’t actually be there all the time for your friends.”

Yukari laughed, waving off Meirowasa’s remark.

“Nonsense. I can always find Moka.”

The bell rang to announce the start of the next period. Kurumu glanced at Meirowasa, whom merely shrugged. Somehow Yukari’s bravado with that statement felt creepier than it should.

“Should we get to class?”

Kurumu sighed. She really wanted to know the details around Genzouyaki’s disappearance. Now. This was not something she wanted to wait for.

“I don’t understand English anyways.”

“I hate gym.”

“I’ve already memorized all of Japanese history, including the wrong version that we will be tested on.”

“Is she serious?”

Kurumu shrugged, starting down the hall. She figured it was time to check in with the faculty about this missing girl thing.

“So… you’re really in high school?”

“Is this the educated conclusion one can make with the culmination of years in the public school system?”

“Uh… I’m homeschooled.”

“As was I. Clearly different results.”

Kurumu reached over and smacked Yukari’s hat off. The girl quickly retrieved it, favoring her with an inquisitive glance.

“So Mononoke doesn’t have a Junior High?”

“Mononoke doesn’t have a grade school. Most of us can attend a nearby human school, but when we get older… well, you know.”

“My father was a graduate of the Tokyo Institute of Technology. I plan to follow in his footsteps.”

Kurumu glanced through the window of the closed door as she passed by her class. She could see that Mr. Nagamushi was starting off with his annoying enthusiasm. Even if they were noticed, she doubted anyone would interrupt class over it.

“Are you sure there isn’t a height requirement?”

“I’m sure in three years I will be taller than you.”

“I’ve never thought of living in a human city, let alone attending a University. Do you have any idea what you would major in?”

“I am undecided. There are so many different things that interest me that picking one degree would deny so many possibilities.”

“I guess.”

“So you are from Mononoke. Did you know Komiya Saizou?”

“Not really. I think Moroha spoke to him a couple times before school started, but Mr. Komiya wasn't from Mononoke and was living on campus.”

“Miki Moroha from my class?”

“Yes. I don't know what happened between you guys and Mr. Komiya, but it has nothing to do with my friends.”

“The runt here wasn't involved at all. As for Komiya, I think he was jealous over how Moka was acting with Tsukune.”

“But I thought he was your boyfriend.”

“Not on the first day of school. I was attracted to him, but Moka was already hanging all over him.”

“So… did they know each other?”

Kurumu sighed dramatically, recalling how awkward that first week had been.

“They didn't. But the fact is that I asked Tsukune if he was seeing anyone and he emphatically said he wasn't. That's why I'm the girlfriend.”

“It kind of sounds like you stole him away.”

“I'm not sure Moka even understands what it means to be a girlfriend. I'm not going to say they don't like each other, but they're just friends.”

Yukari snickered as they reached the end of the hallway. She paused, cocking her head with a wry grin.

“Don't worry. I'll make Moka a woman soon.”

Kurumu thought about smacking the brat, but compromised with rolling her eyes. She glanced at the stairs on her right and then to the left at the hall that lead to the grand stair in the center of the school. She was starting to think the faculty might not be enough.

“What about talking to the Headmaster about this?”

“Huh?”

“If we show up in the Teacher's Lounge, they are more likely to send us back to class without telling us anything. But if we take this to the Headmaster…”

“We could be expelled.”

Kurumu gagged.

“Well, you two. I doubt he would expel the granddaughter of a former teacher.”

“Maybe we shouldn't…”

While it did sound like they could be severely punished for this intrusion, she started to feel that such a response was wrong. Why should she be punished for wanting to know the truth? She could almost hear Morioka's voice echoing the angry thoughts in her mind.

“I think seven missing girls is a justifiable excuse.”

“If possible, I would also like to know what happened to Ichiro.”

“Ichiro?”

“Yea. He's another of my friends. I don't understand why, but he was taken from his mother the first weekend of school. We haven't seen him since.”

Kurumu started down the hall, intent on having this meeting.

“That's even more reason. How many people from this school have to disappear before the faculty does something? We should think about writing an article about this wonderful unsafe environment.”

“You said he was taken. By whom?”

“His mother said they claimed to be part of the Student Police conducting an investigation. Both teachers I asked said the Student Police know nothing about the incident.”

The girl forced a laugh.

“I even tried applying for the Student Police, though it was obvious they wouldn't take someone like me.”

“They are a club, so they do have the right to turn down applications.”

Kurumu frowned, briefly wondering why Morioka had ever approved Tsukune's membership. He would have had his four members without Tsukune.

“Does the club president decide who can and can't be in a club?”

“They do, though you can apply directly with the club advisor. That's how I joined your club. In the end, the club advisor has the final say, though they usually won't disagree with the club president.”

Kurumu vaguely recalled the club president was a graduate that was some sort of student advisor. She wondered if that meant he was both advisor and president, making his authority within the club absolute. She was starting to appreciate Morioka's concerns about interacting with such a club.

They arrived in the grand hall and walked along the balcony to the stairway that would take them up to the third floor. She had never been up these stairs, so her heart started to flutter. Gripping the ebony wood handrail, she methodically ascended to the next level.

The stairway emptied out to a wide room with two intricate chandeliers. The walls were lined with paintings and the hall had a few pedestals in the center of the walkway that displayed relics that were probably important to the school history. It was almost like they had stepped into an art gallery.

Fine crafted benches with crimson cushions rested beneath some of the paintings. She realized this was for people waiting to be seen by the Headmaster, or the student council. Nazohashi had mentioned the council room was also up on this floor.

“And what are you three doing here?”

The voice came from behind them. She quickly took note of a bench that had been pressed up against the half wall of the stairway, and the speaker. The young man stood up, casually brushing his long golden tresses off his shoulder. His black overcoat trimmed with white was a similar fashion to the one Deshi wore.

Yukari boldly stepped in front of them.

“We are here to speak with the Headmaster.”

“Oh. I would think students should be in class right now.”

The young man stepped closer with a smirk touching his lips. His pointed ears were large enough to hold his tresses back much like a hair clip. He did not falter the slightest when her eyes crossed his.

“Kuyo.”

Kurumu glanced at Meirowasa, noting the girl had fallen back a step and was feeling behind her for the wall.

“We are members of the Newspaper Club and were given permission to conduct an interview with the Headmaster.”

The young man paused, cocking his head as he regarded Yukari.

“Is that so? I was not made aware of this.”

“And why would you be?”

Kuyo's face tightened.

“Do you not understand who I am?”

“I understand that you are a member of the Student Police. Any particular reason why you are not in class?”

“That's Kuyo, the head of the Student Police. He's not a student.”

Kuyo smirked, gesturing at the unsteady girl.

“Precisely. I am in charge of the security and integrity of this school. And as far as I'm concerned, a bunch of kids playing reporters have no business skipping class.”

“So I can put on record that the Student Police actively sabotage club activities.”

“Yukari!”

The little witch winced. The next step Kuyo took felt oppressive. It was almost like the feeling Moka's true form exuded. Kurumu clutched her fists to her chest, staggering back a step.

“I would chose words carefully, child.”

And suddenly the weight was gone. Kurumu staggered forward like she had been pushed from behind. Yukari fell onto her knees, catching herself with her hands as her hat skittered across the floor to stop at Kuyo's feet.

“My, my, such power should not be needed to address three young students.”

Kurumu glanced over her shoulder, noting another figure had stepped into the hallway. The man's face was obscured in the dark shadows cast by the white hood pulled over his head. A golden cross dangled from his neck as he steadily approached them, the white robes whisking about the wood floor.

“It was not my intent to disturb you.”

“What is the problem?”

Kuyo huffed, gesturing to them.

“These three claim to have an appointment to do an interview with you for their paper club. I was about to dismiss them.”

“I can see that. Is there an issue with them doing an interview with me?”

Kuyo stiffened.

“I was not informed of this.”

“If it troubles you that much, you may join us.”

“Of course I shall.”

The robed man gestured for the girls to move. Meirowasa stumbled up from the bench she had been clutching. Swallowing, the girl reached out to Kurumu. Taking Meirowasa's hand, Kurumu turned to offer the other to Yukari, but it looked like the little witch was being helped to her feet by the imposing Kuyo. The man even settled the hat on the girl's head.

“So what sort of interview are you girls hoping to make? I do hope you don't plan to do a personal history, or you might end up here for several days.”

Kurumu almost laughed at the offhand remark. She was very aware how shaky her legs felt as she made her way down the hall. It was like she had ran a long distance and her muscles were pushed past their limits. She could tell Meirowasa was not in much better condition, but at least the taller girl was steady enough to be leaned upon.

The door to the Headmaster's office was at the end of the hall on their left. The room beyond was cavernous with massive windows that overlooked the enclosed courtyard with the ancient tree. Heavy burgundy curtains were restrained by golden cords to preserve the magnificent view. Looking even further out, they could see the track and the ball fields. No doubt Meirowasa's classmates were among those milling about the athletic fields.

Kurumu stumbled a bit as she wandered further into the room. There was an extravagant desk sprawled out in front of the grand view with several seats across from it for visitors. There were several other things about the room similar to the trinkets she had seen in the audience hall. She noted another door in the middle of the left wall, possibly opening up to another room full of school history.

She settled into the nearest seat, sinking in the black cushion. Meirowasa took the seat on her left and eventually Yukari found her place on the right. The Headmaster walked about the desk to take his position, steepling his fingers as he regarded them. Kuyo seemed content to remain standing on Yukari's right at the corner of the desk.

“So where shall we begin?”

She did not have anything. Neither did Yukari. Kurumu held a hand out to Meirowasa, whom did not immediately realize what was wanted. With a slight sound, she nodded and fished a notebook and pencil out of her schoolbag.

“Um, yea. I believe you would know about the posters we hung about the school a little over a week ago.”

“I am. I believe Kuyo had those taken down, for violation of the rules.”

“It was unauthorized advertisements. We are aware of the good intentions, but the rules are in place to prevent other clubs from doing such things with less noble causes.”

Kurumu was a bit surprised with how calmly Kuyo addressed the matter.

“Yes. Anyways, that was back when three girls were missing. If I understand things correctly, we are now at seven.”

“Seven? Is that true, Kuyo?”

“We don't keep a list of all students that might be missing.”

“Zukkutani Kana. Yochimaru Riku. Kinzoku Umeki. Kisurusu Miho. Unabara Tarako. Unabara Haraka. Genzouyaki Nerume.”

“Thank you, Ms. Sendou.”

“So, you are unaware of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of these girls.”

The robed man sat back in his desk, drawing his hands to his lap.

“There are many things happening on campus. I am unable to know all that is going on.”

“If you wish, we could officially take over this investigation. The faculty are busy enough with school matters.”

“I distinctly recall you saying how stretched thin your resources were in dealing with the antithesis group.”

Meirowasa flinched.

“That may be so, but we have made little progress anticipating their actions. It seems they may have gone dormant with the new term.”

Kurumu frowned.

“I'm sorry, but what are we talking about?”

“An issue that needs not be mentioned in a school newspaper. It is with regret that I must say that we cannot help you. Standard school rules apply. I hope I don't have to explain that to you.”

She recalled what Nekonome had said on the first day of school. The school would only investigate things like murder for one week. If no culprit was found, no more resources would be spent on it.

“Uh, would you be able to answer a question about Mr. Kawasaki Ichiro? His mother said he was taken from his home by the student police.”

“I believe that was the file I received Friday.”

“File?”

“Mr. Kawasaki Ichiro has passed away.”

Meirowasa's lower lip trembled at Kuyo's firm statement.

“What?”

“I personally informed his mother this weekend. Unfortunate. I almost thought he would turn out innocent of the murder of Sakurai Kaito.”

Meirowasa shot up from her seat with her fists clenched.

“Lies! Ichiro would never hurt anyone! He never did anything like that!”

“It is all in the report. Mr. Hagiwara saw the two fighting after school over something that had happened in shop class. Mr. Enjin confirmed that an altercation did take place during his class. While I did have little reason to believe Mr. Hagiwara, an upstanding member of our club, would fabricate the quarrel that resulted in young Sakurai's death, we did chose to hold Mr. Kawasaki for questioning.”

“He's been gone for over two weeks. It doesn't take that long to ask a few questions.”

“It does when he refuses to answer them.”

Meirowasa grimaced, fangs piercing her lips as her fists sprouted large canine claws.

“Lies! I've known him for years! Years!”

“Calm down, little one. That's no way to address your superior.”

The girl whipped her head about, her body not adjusting the slightest to accommodate the sharp motion. The robed man was holding a folder in his hand, which he tossed over at the smug Kuyo. For the first time, his face seemed almost visible with a Cheshire grin on his aged lips.

Kuyo's expression changed the moment he opened the folder.

“Wait. This is…”

“Your club roster. I took the liberty to add the dossiers, although I'm sure you have already perused those as well as many others for security purposes.”

“I don't understand.”

“And I'm curious why this young lady is not dressed according to your club standards. You clearly are stretched too thin if you can't even keep up with your own club's paperwork.”

“I did not approve of this applicant. She's a monstrel.”

The Headmaster made a tsking sound as he wagged his finger.

“Please, Kuyo. We don't talk of true forms.”

“Don't mock me with the silly premise of preserving integration. This is a serious situation.”

“The Public Safety Commission consists of a mere thirteen members. That's including yourself and the one freshmen girl that submitted her application before the school year started.”

Kuyo scowled, glancing at them.

“Yes, it does seem our new recruit has been lax in her duties.”

Kurumu winced, hoping this would not cause the foreign girl any trouble.

“I feel it was a poor choice for the Student Police to not even attempt to recruit new members this year.”

“I am aware of our lack of numbers, but our membership has always been estimated by merit. You know this. It is at the start of the second term that we approach prospects.”

“And I advised Ms. Yoshino to discuss any applicants with me, since you were preoccupied with other serious matters. If it is any consolation, we only approved two of the six that attempted to apply.”

Kuyo flipped through the files, pausing at one.

“Well, this one does seem promising.”

“I would imagine the son of a prominent member of Fairy Tale would.”

“But this one here… I don't approve.”

Meirowasa had calmed some, her form mostly back to normal. Her jaw was still trembling as she stared angrily at Kuyo.

“Do you honestly think this little one is a capable assassin?”

“Even if she has no connection to the group, I still don't approve.”

“I'm really confused and angry and don't know if I should be crying or trying to kill someone right now.”

“Young lady, I'm sure you realize that every student is required to join a club, but there's no rule that prevents anyone from joining multiple clubs. Most don’t out of common sense, but I can’t imagine the Sadou club activities would keep you too occupied from making a much needed contribution to the PSC. We only have one stipulation regarding the PSC, in that we strongly discourage them from holding any position within the student government.”

Kuyo huffed, gesturing at Meirowasa with the folder.

“And what exactly do you expect me to do with her?”

“I have already spoken with Ms. Hineri about this one. She knows what my intentions are.”

“Is that so… Strange she did not enlighten me about this.”

“You have been busy.”

Kuyo sighed, flipping back through the folder contents.

“It appears that way. Meirowasa Tokori.”

Tucking the folder beneath his arm, the young man bowed stiffly.

“I offer my sincere condolences over the loss of your friend. I assure you that I was not personally involved in this particular investigation. If that still does not satisfy you, I will readily provide the file Mr. Hagiwara prepared over this matter.”

“I don’t want to read any lies made up to justify what happened.”

“If it bothers you so much, I am quite willing to accept your resignation.”

“I don’t want to give you the pleasure.”

The Headmaster clapped his hands together with a sharp laugh.

“Now there’s a fitting article for your newspaper, young ladies. The student police accepting one of Mononoke’s precious children into their ranks.”

“You will write no such article.”

“My young Kuyo, please. Such an article would only enhance the image of your floundering club.”

“Our image is power. If you are done pestering me, I shall take my leave.”

“And abandon me to fend for myself against these dangerous girls. Whatever shall I do?”

Kuyo rolled his eyes.

“If you have no further questions, then I shall escort you out.”

Having been silent for most of this tense exchange, Kurumu glanced over to Yukari. The witch shrugged, slowly extracting herself from the deep cushions of her armchair. Sensing there was not much else she could say, Kurumu did the same.

On her feet she held her hand out to Meirowasa. The girl looked at her hand and then stepped in to hug her tightly. Kurumu could feel Meirowasa’s whole body shudder as the girl rasped out breaths across her shoulder.

“Again with the hugging? Can we just go?”

* * *

Kurumu did not even bother standing when Nazohashi called out the commands to end the day. It felt like she had done a lot today, but it was not like any important matters had been resolved. It was like treading water, in that you can put a lot more effort into that and still end up nowhere.

Kuyo had escorted them down to the school store and informed the clerk about Meirowasa’s status. He gave the clerk till the end of the week to complete and deliver the uniform and instructed Meirowasa to dress accordingly at the start of next week. Aware how quickly the clerk had turned over her order, Kurumu could tell Kuyo was in no hurry.

Advised against disrupting their classes, they had spent the rest of the period lounging in the library as it was close to the dining hall. Meirowasa hung out with them all through lunch, which they had eaten in Yukari’s classroom.

Eventually Unari joined them, allowing Kurumu to finally get the details on Genzouyaki’s disappearance. Apparently the trio had eaten breakfast together on Sunday before her classmate left for some prior engagement. As far as Unari could tell, nobody had seen Genzouyaki since.

Meirowasa did leave them for a bit to talk to one of Yukari’s classmates. The young man had stormed off angrily, calling her a stupid dog. It was clear Miki Moroha disliked the news about Kawasaki and her admittance to the PSC.

After the altercation, Meirowasa had talked a little bit about the few kids from Mononoke that she knew about. There was this Wanibuchi girl from Umatobi’s class that she occasionally hung out with. And then she started talking about Sawayaka Mikomi, the daughter of one of the professors here, and it was quickly clear that she adored the girl.

Kurumu was aware of Sawayaka since the girl was part of their home economics class. Apparently the two had mutually agreed not to be at the same station, but they were both part of the Sadou club. Yukari had added some other facts about how Sawayaka was ranked 19 in their class and was the representative for her classroom, which conveniently happened to be her father’s.

Tsukune had not joined them for lunch and had not said anything relevant during the breaks. Still he was showing some interest as she let him know about the progress of her track article. He even threw in an offer of helping her write the article, since he did not have much else to do.

She had ducked out of home economics a bit early as they were not making anything today and she had wanted to set that interview up for track with Ms. Kibashiro. While arranging the shoot for Friday, Kurumu had picked up that there was actually a mix of all three grades this hour. The coach had even given her a pass from activities for the day so she could interview the few upperclassmen that shared her gym hour.

For some reason, perhaps bored, Shirayuki had joined her rounds about the gym court. She knocked out all four seniors and two of the juniors before the coaches were calling it a day. She hoped the coach would let her do this again, as she still had five more juniors to do. Adding the interview with the coach would make twenty eight by the end of tomorrow. Hopefully she would have some help come Friday as that still left a third of the group.

Shirayuki had made an offhand comment about Moka having a new boyfriend, which resulted in her mentioning Inui. This prompted a few comments from the last junior, Ota from Kuwabara’s class, whom she was interviewing. The girl had warned her about mixing up with that shameless flirt, saying she never heard anything good from the two that shared classes with him.

Before this class started, she had stopped by Yamabato’s desk to let him know about the shoot with the track team. She had mentioned meeting Uchiyama and the conversation kind of ran away until Ms. Nekonome shooed her off to her seat when class started.

Most of the students were picking up their things. Kurumu sighed, wondering how much time she had before Ms. Kagome made a fuss. She glanced at the back door, half expecting to see the teacher.

“You’re getting popular.”

Kurumu glanced up at Burumoto’s broad shoulders. Even though she recalled his name was Ushio, she still did not think of him that way. It certainly had not helped with how little they had interacted since the first week.

“I don’t think so.”

Burumoto chuckled, planting his large hand on her head and tousling her hair.

“Just promise to do the Soccer team next. It would be fun.”

Kurumu knew Morioka’s stance on male clubs. She gently backhanded his wrist to encourage his release of her head. He chuckled again before slipping around behind her to make for the exit. Tamaishi joined him and they both walked out just as Inui poked his head about the door. Kurumu sighed.

“Aren’t you doing something with Ms. Ishigami?”

“Huh… oh yes.”

Moka forced a smile, her eyes drifting to the door.

“I should be going.”

Kurumu glanced at Tsukune. She had not mentioned the news about Genzouyaki to either of them.

“Be safe.”

Moka frowned, settling her schoolbag in place. She nodded and headed off to join Inui. The silver haired vampire grinned and said something that was lost in the rustle of the halls. He then draped an arm over Moka’s shoulder and the two walked off.

Kurumu felt a bit envious. She wished Tsukune would behave more assertively like that. But she did understand why he was reserved. He had always known she was potentially dangerous to him. She sighed again, rolling her eyes away from the door as the little witch strode in to join them.

The red haired Yougan was obviously keeping his distance from the waddling Hedoyami as the pair cleaned the front of the class. Nazohashi scolded the lumbering oaf for erasing the duty roster, shaking her head as she promptly corrected the situation.

“Tsukune! I require your assistance.”

“Huh?”

Kurumu glanced at Yukari, slightly intrigued.

“I was reading our past issues which are conveniently kept in the library and have a firm understanding of what has been written regarding the Tsuchinoko. You shall assist me in the field research that I require to compose the conclusion to that series.”

Kurumu smirked.

“You were taking his suggestion seriously?”

“I guess I could help. What do you need me to do?”

“Oh, not much. Just try not to be eaten.”

“Eaten?!”

Kurumu smiled, shaking her head at Tsukune's reaction. Yukari had grabbed him by the sleeve and was tugging him from his seat. The fact that she quickly succeeded hopefully meant he realized she was only kidding. It would be sad to think Yukari could overpower him.

A heavy hand clapped down on her shoulder, squeezing tight. She winced as the weight leaned in close, hot breath tickling her left ear.

“You provoked Kuyo.”

Kurumu tried to swat his hand off, but he quickly snatched her by the wrist. He hauled her out of her seat, causing her to stumble against him.

“Senior!”

With a snarl, he let go of her wrist and stepped back, allowing her to fall on her hands and knees.

“Tora! If that police girl shows up, I want you to tell her that these two acted on their own. The club did not know about it.”

“What?”

“What is going on?”

With concern, Tsukune was looking at Morioka while Yukari resumed tugging on his sleeve.

“It's not important, Tsukune. Let's go.”

“Where do you think you're going?”

“To write my article. Tsukune shall be assisting me.”

“I'm the club president.”

“You will move aside.”

With a stern look, Yukari pointed at him with two fingers and slashed them sharply to her right. Morioka was thrown aside so violently that he stumbled and fell on his butt. Yukari favored him with a glare as she pulled a bewildered Tsukune past them. She glanced over her shoulder.

“I will see you here in the morning.”

Morioka growled, getting back up. He scowled at Yougan, whom was regarding them with a smirk. Shaking his head, Morioka stalked over and held his hand down to her.

“You are coming with me.”

Kurumu batted away his hand, getting up on her own. She thought about refusing him, but remembered Ms. Kagome was likely to show up any second now. While the woman had said something about allowing for club activities, it was clear Ms. Kagome did not regard them as an important club with how early she had shown up yesterday. Not caring for that encounter, she reached over to her desk and started gathering up her things.

“I was concerned.”

“Yea, and so am I.”

He was scared, but she knew why. She did not want to think what might have happened if the Headmaster had not interrupted their initial encounter with the leader of the Student Police. Ducking her head through the strap, she let the schoolbag hang in its usual place. She shrugged.

“Lead the way.”

Morioka stalked out the back door and headed down the balcony towards the labs. She followed a couple steps behind, favoring Meirowasa a small wave as she passed the girl in the hall. Looking back to Morioka, she started to wonder where exactly they were going.

They reached the end of the hall and headed down the stairs. At the bottom, Morioka pushed open the exterior door and took off with a brisk pace for the edge of the forest. Kurumu had to kick up her step to a slight jog to keep the taller boy within reasonable distance.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

He veered a bit to be in line with a small forest path. Crossing into the woods, he cast a glance over his shoulder. He slowed his pace enough to let her catch up, but wordlessly turned his attention back to the trail.

It was a short three minute walk before she realized they were approaching a small building, as the trail was straight and wide enough to not be troubled by nearby branches. The short, square structure was roughly the size of the storage sheds the athletic clubs used. Although it was not that deep into the woods, it was not big enough to be noticed from the school or the clearing.

“What is that?”

“The school has several of these buildings scattered about the grounds. Most of them are abandoned. Others serve as club storage rooms. Some even use them as a base of operations, like the friendly student police you two riled up.”

“We had our reasons.”

“You know Ms. Yoshino is my homeroom teacher. Not that I’m complaining to have that babe twice a day, but I doubt that was a coincidence.”

Kurumu recalled that name being mentioned at the interview. She paused as they reached the break in the woods about the squat structure. It had been built up on a concrete platform to make the floor level.

“One of my friends disappeared.”

Morioka sighed, shaking his head. He shoved his right hand in his pocket as he cocked his head.

“You should have more faith in your senior.”

Kurumu glanced about, noting there were not any windows on either side she could see. The only remarkable feature was the small ramp that preceded the white double door. She took a step closer and frowned.

“You feel it?”

She did feel something. There was the distinct sense that she should not be here. She glanced about, realizing there was nothing. No birds. No rodents. Even the annoying insects had abandoned this place. With a thought, she realized this was where she would find the missing girls.

She became more aware of the sound of her heart as she watched Morioka approach the door. A part of her wanted to flee, thoughts still tugging with the notion that Morioka could be a killer. She did not want to see the ravaged bodies of girls she knew, sprawled across a dirty floor. She glanced back at him, trying to judge his actions for hostility.

Morioka was fixated on the door. He reached for the knob, turning it slowly. She forced her feet to move so she could see inside the dark room as he tugged it open. She took note that he did not need to unlock it. Her body tensed as she peered through the portal, not seeing much of anything.

“Seven girls. All accounted for.”

Kurumu did not dare approach.

“When did you find this?”

“Sunday, maybe an hour or so after I started the search with Nazohashi.”

“Nazohashi said you guys found nothing.”

“It was locked up, so we moved on. After I sent her home, I came back.”

The explanation felt genuine, but she did not relax. She stepped closer, trying to make something out of the shadows within.

“I’d rather you stay there. I’m sure whomever did this can tell I have been inside. It has this… feel about it. Like I’m invading someone’s territory. I’m hoping their alarm does not extend beyond the building.”

“Alarm?”

“The girls inside have been petrified.”

He rubbed his nose and favored her with a slight smile.

“And all appear to be nude.”

Kurumu pounced from her spot, pushing him aside as she stood in the doorway. It did not take long for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, though it was apparent that the structure did have a few small windows in the back. The extra light helped her make out the scattering of desks and nude statues posed about the room.

Morioka groaned.

“Did I not mention the alarm?”

“Huh?”

Morioka sighed, gesturing in the room.

“This is the work of a gorgon. Rumor has it that a gorgon can tell when someone enters their territory.”

“Where are their clothes?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t interested searching the place and I didn’t have my camera. So I bailed and came back yesterday.”

“You came back?”

“Of course.”

Morioka gestured at the door.

“I had to come back and confirm the girls were still here.”

Kurumu paused, thinking over this.

“But the alarm…”

“Exactly. Either the culprit doesn’t have one, or they are pretty confident that I can’t do anything about it.”

“We should report this to the faculty.”

“That’s the catch. While some of these sheds have been loaned out to clubs, most can only be accessed by the faculty. I suspect if I do report this, the girls won’t be here for long.”

“But you must have taken pictures by now and we know what kind of monster is responsible.”

“I can’t.”

“What?”

“I brought the camera with me yesterday with hopes that I might take a shot of our perpetrator. Wouldn’t feel right taking pictures of a bunch of defenseless girls like this.”

Kurumu regarded him, very unconvinced. She was certain this pervert was the one spying on her gym class, though not recently.

“Is that so?”

“Honest.”

Kurumu crossed her arms about her chest.

“So what is your plan?”

“I’ve already told you what I plan to do.”

Kurumu was still unconvinced. How would a picture of someone skulking about an abandoned shack being any more evidence than pictures of petrified girls? It seemed like he would need both.

“So what do you want me to do?”

“I want you to keep clear of the student police. I will handle this and we will have a huge story to frontline our first paper. Trust me.”

Kurumu did not want to leave the heroics up to this playboy, but she knew an argument here would not solve anything. Shaking her head, she walked away from the door.

“I’m going back to class. I’m sure Ms. Kagome is wondering where I am.”

“Hey, not a word to anyone. We don’t know who we can trust.”

“Yea, yea.”

As she walked back down the trail, she almost thought she could hear the faint sound of crying.


	24. Pursuing Rumors

Kurumu stepped inside the large vestibule of the main school building. On her right was one door that opened into the teachers’ lounge, while the door on her left was for the school store, currently closed. The rest of the vestibule was lined with rows upon rows of shoe lockers. While most students tried to be considerate of the cleanliness of the school by changing out their shoes here, it was a habit Kurumu had parted with years ago.

She had voiced her concerns about the black outs after their sessions, which prompted some explanations. Her teacher admitted to using a harmless drug that assisted the hypnosis process. Despite protests, Ms. Kagome had been stern about the need for improvements. In her opinion, planting the methods at a subconscious level would be easiest. She promised that within a couple weeks of regular sessions, Kurumu would notice the difference.

She kind of recalled what had happened after the lesson. Not really. It had been late and dinner was no longer being served. She had picked up a muffin from the snack section before returning to her dorm room. Perhaps her mild awareness had encouraged her to eat and wear something to bed.

She entered the large foyer and started up the winding stair on her left. It was still early as she even had to wait for the dining hall to open to get her breakfast. She recalled Yukari claiming to be one of the first students to school, so she hoped she would met up with the witch in one of their classrooms. The nature of this teacher that had plucked out Mr. Nagamushi’s eye in the name of science still worried her.

Even though Morioka had warned her that she could not trust the faculty, she felt like this secrecy over the girls’ location was bad. If Ms. Kagome had not been so focused on convincing her of the importance of their lessons, she would have confided in the woman about the storage room. By the time she had been walking about half awake, there had been nobody around to tell about it.

At the top of the stairs, she kept on her left down the main hall. She toyed with the thought of mentioning the matter to Ms. Sasayaki. If the woman was some expert on gorgons, she could at least find out if those girls would be okay. Then again, there was the chance that Ms. Sasayaki was the culprit. With the motive of furthering gorgon research or mimicking the process, the science teacher was a reasonable suspect.

She sighed as she turned down her hall sticking to the left side where her classroom was. This was silly. Why would Ms. Nekonome recommend this teacher if she truly was that dangerous? Right? Still it could not hurt to be careful about how she asked those questions.

She paused to open the first door of Yukari’s class, confirming nobody was there. She then moved on to her classroom with the intent of putting her schoolbag at her desk. She paused after opening the door, noting the young girl sitting on Moka’s desktop wearing that silly pointed hat. Quietly she walked over while pulling the strap over her head. She set her bag down on her seat.

Wait. There was no reason to ask the teacher after all.

“Morioka found the girls.”

Yukari grinned as she kicked her legs back and forth with her palms pushing her skirt down against the edge of the desk.

“I guess he isn’t useless after all.”

“They were turned to stone.”

“Really?”

Kurumu paused, recalling her feelings from yesterday. Despite how creepy things had turned out, she had never felt panicked.

“I don’t think they’re dead.”

“Hmm… it depends. If they were turned stone to the core they would be, but that’s a difficult thing to do to a monster.”

“Because we regenerate?”

“There’s that and also most monsters here are already suppressing their true forms. Being petrified would be a frustrating nuisance. Like locking yourself in a room and then someone steals your key.”

Kurumu nodded, feeling a little relief.

“What about the girls that have been that way for weeks?”

“That is a good question. While food might not be an immediate issue, even a monster can die from dehydration.”

Yukari tilted her head.

“You haven’t reported this?”

“Morioka thinks a faculty member did this. He doesn’t want me to say anything before he catches them in action.”

“A stupid request. There are several faculty members that can be trusted with this information.”

“Maybe so. I’ll give him the day. If he hasn’t found anything when we talk about it in club, then I will take it to Ms. Nekonome.”

Yukari hopped off the desk and straightened her hat.

“Shall we go see Ms. Sasayaki now?”

Kurumu nodded, starting for the open door.

“Can someone be unstoned?”

“That issue was not mentioned in Ms. Sasayaki’s report.”

“But you are certain that it’s not fatal, right?”

“I believe the rumor is that Ms. Sasayaki was researching gorgons with Mr. Nagamushi. The file in the library was not the most comprehensive report I have seen performed for a species. I suspect it was highly edited.”

Kurumu sighed as they walked down the hall together.

“Yea, but I guess that also means one of them could be responsible for this.”

Yukari laughed.

“The diabolical Mr. Nagamushi. Amusing.”

The witch did have a point. It was hard to think the noisy English teacher would be responsible for this.

“If you’re that worried, we can use the classic mystery friend.”

“Mystery friend?”

“You know the whole, I have a friend, routine. It might be possible that we know a gorgon that needs some questions asked.”

Kurumu supposed that could work. For all she knew, she could have a gorgon in her class or living on her floor. She really should introduce herself to her neighbors soon, maybe this weekend.

Her thoughts wandered to Tsukune. It felt like they had not talked much since Inui had stepped into the picture.

“How was Tsukune yesterday?”

“Huh? Oh, that was a complete success!”

Yukari winked and thrust out a fist with her thumb up.

“I hope that’s a good thing.”

“Of course. My genius is unrivaled. I will show this club what a real article looks like.”

Kurumu suspected the witch’s definition would be different from Morioka’s. It was probably different from what anyone would expect from a school newspaper article. She managed a smile as they walked by the bathrooms that separated the classes from the science labs.

“Did Tsukune say anything yesterday?”

“About what?”

“About anything.”

“Hmm. Not really. I think he might be a little down because we don’t observe Golden Week.”

Kurumu highly doubted that was the case. While she was aware that the humans would be taking this week off to observe some national holidays, she could not imagine him being this despondent over a lack of free time. She supposed he could be homesick.

Now that she thought about it, Moka had spent a lot of time in human schools. She wondered if Golden Week was the normal time for Moka to spend with her estranged family, given how close it was to her birthday. Maybe she was giving Inui’s presence too much credit for how distant everyone was behaving.

“I guess that could be it.”

Yukari held her nose and finger up.

“I will require Tsukune's assistance again today. I want no trouble from anyone this time.”

Kurumu smiled as she walked a little ahead of Yukari to open the door. The witch walked into the lab without missing a step.

“I was a little curious how you did that to Morioka.”

“A magician never tells his secrets.”

The lab was identical to the one she had her class in. It seemed to be empty.

“May I help you?”

Kurumu squeaked as a woman stepped out from the door on her left. The woman had a pleasant face and long, raven tresses that pooled down to her ankles. She smiled as she closed the door to the storage room for her lab.

“Ms. Sasayaki.”

“I am, and this little one would be Ms. Sendou.”

Her lips did not move when she spoke. The woman continued to smile as she approached the young girl, reaching out with small hands that had long fingers. Yukari did not flinch as the woman brushed those fingers across the girl’s cheek.

“I heard many promising things about you.”

Unlike their science teacher whom religiously wore a lab coat over a disheveled suit, Ms. Sasayaki dressed more casual like Ms. Nekonome. The sleeves of her peach blouse had been rolled back to her elbows and buttoned to keep them in place. Several of the top buttons were left undone, allowing the collar to graciously spread across her slim shoulders. The hem of the smooth fabric was tucked neatly in a pristine white pair of capris chinos.

“You haven’t changed since we last met.”

The woman smiled, plucking the pointed hat off Yukari’s head and holding it out for the girl to take it back. She moved her other hand to gently pat the top of Yukari’s head. Yukari pouted, grabbing her hat but leaving it off for the woman to do her thing.

“Not in the slightest.”

“You are too kind. But my, you are so much bigger now.”

“That was eight years ago. I was three.”

“Oh my, has it really been that long?”

She released Yukari’s head to clutch at her modest breast.

“That makes this poor woman feel a little old.”

It was such a pleasant exchange, but still so strange. Her lips never moved with any words she said.

“Um… Ms. Sasayaki?”

The woman turned that dainty chin in her direction. Her narrow eyebrows, delicate nose and the slight perk of her lips felt so in line with what she saw in fashion magazines. The teacher had such rich brown eyes it was difficult to compare with any she had seen before.

“Uh… are you telepathic?”

The woman’s eyes widened as she brought a hand over her mouth.

“Oh.”

She smiled, withdrawing her hand.

“I’m sorry. I sometimes forget to use this one.”

Her voice was softer and her lips had moved.

“I presume you must be the one Shizuka told me to be expecting.”

Kurumu nodded, recalling that to be Ms. Nekonome’s first name.

“I do see the resemblance, though I never officially met your mother.”

Kurumu was a little surprised that Ms. Nekonome would have talked about her mother to others.

“You knew about her?”

“Shizuka was my junior in club, after all. She often talked about her troublesome classmates.”

“So you’re like a year older than her.”

“Two.”

The woman looked her over. Ms. Sasayaki sighed, glancing away.

“Now I really feel old.”

Kurumu winced, guessing the thought that might have crossed the teacher’s mind. After all, most people would regard her as a fully grown woman, and here she was the daughter of someone two years younger than Ms. Sasayaki.

“But you look good. Yukari even said so.”

Ms. Sasayaki smiled.

“I know you aren’t here to flatter me. I believe Shizuka said you wanted to have some tests done.”

“Tests?”

“For compatibility. We tried to rope your mother in several times to have some of these tests done, back when Lord Sendou still worked here.”

Kurumu frowned as Ms. Sasayaki started back for the storage room, opening the door.

“Lord Sendou?”

“My grandfather. Many monsters hold him in high regard.”

“And just as many hold him in much contempt. His research on the different types of monsters have been met with mixed feelings. Some praise his works, feeling it emulates the many publications humans do about their species.”

The teacher walked back into the room holding a tray with an arranged set of vials, needles, bottles and swabs. She walked over to the center lab station of the first row, which was where the lab instructor usually stood.

“Others regard it as a collection of dangerous documents that could be exploited to bring about the demise of our kind.”

“Most humans disregarded Grandfather’s work as fictional musings. Nobody would publish the work.”

“The fact he tried to has not set well with many of the old leaders. If he had worked at any other high school, I’m sure your family would have been… well killed. The Headmaster here has quite some pull in Fairy Tale.”

The woman was setting the things about on the desk. She glanced at Kurumu and gestured to a nearby stool.

“If you would.”

Kurumu wandered over, stepping up on the bottom steel frame that joined the stool legs. Turning to face the woman, she sat down on the black cushion.

“I think Lord Sendou’s work is a necessary evil. While it does make us vulnerable, there are some species that simply lack any understanding of themselves. Fairy Tale has less than twenty documented succubi living in Japan. There could be more, but they tend to keep to themselves.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, annoyed with her junior high treatment.

“I wonder why. Have you considered asking another succubus to come in for these tests?”

“Fairy Tale would only give us the numbers. It would be kind of scary to think they would hand out a list of names to anyone requesting it.”

“So what kind of tests would I need?”

“The first thing we should do is a blood test.”

She gestured to the syringe.

“We can use this to get a look at your DNA and compare it to samples that we have taken from other monsters. From this we can give you a good list of compatible species which you could copulate with.”

“What?”

“Make babies. While everyone knows you can mate with humans, it might be nice to know if you have other options. This is a monster school, after all. Not very good chances you’ll stumble on a human here.”

A little flush at not knowing the word copulate, Kurumu shared a glance with Yukari. The witch smirked, looking away.

“If you would hold out your arm, please.”

Kurumu sighed, presenting her arm with her palm up. The woman set aside the needle, grabbing a small section of hose off the tray. She promptly tied it about Kurumu’s upper arm, cinching the rubber tight in a knot. The woman then slipped a metal rod into the tie and started twisting it.

“She also said you have some concerns about being with a human. I understand your father never fully recovered from being with your mother.”

Kurumu could feel the pressure in her arm, causing her veins to slightly bulge against her pale skin. She grimaced at the statement about her mother, nodding in reply.

“I was thinking to run a toxicology test of your saliva. That feels a reasonable place to start.”

“Okay.”

The woman sterilized the needle and stepped in close to her. Grabbing her by the elbow, Ms. Sasayaki poked the tip through a vein just above the inside of her elbow. In a few seconds the syringe filled with dark blood. With practiced ease, Ms. Sasayaki withdrew the needle and pressed a swath of gauge at the puncture spot.

“Hold that.”

Kurumu dutifully covered her left hand over the spot. The teacher set the syringe aside and promptly loosened the rubber hose. Her fingers started to tingle as the blood was given more freedom. Pulling out the metal rod, Ms. Sasayaki untied the hose and set it aside on her desk.

“Do you have any theories on how the charm of a succubus works?”

The teacher shrugged as she grabbed up a wide test tube. She removed the cork on the top and turned to regard the witch.

“I presume you mean how a succubus can cause a man to desire her.”

“Do you think it would be limited to sight, considering the eye is meant to gather information, not give information.”

“Ah, are you referring to my thesis on the Gorgon’s Eye?”

“I am.”

“Yes, that was a big question I wanted to answer when I first met Mr. Nagamushi and learned he was a gorgon.”

Kurumu reflexively moved her hand to her eye, not needing to fret over the needle prick. That had already healed.

“Did you take his eye?”

Ms. Sasayaki laughed.

“Oh dear, is that rumor still circulating the school? While Maki’s eye did get injured, it had nothing to do with our tests. That happened a couple months after I finished writing my paper.”

“What happened?”

“Now that would be an embarrassing story. Needless to say, it cut his honeymoon short.”

Kurumu smiled at the warm atmosphere.

“I did not expect Mr. Nagamushi to be married.”

Ms. Sasayaki snorted as if about to make a retort, but then she smiled. She turned on the sink built into the counter, adjusting the flow to a slight trickle before filling the tube.

“I suppose he is a bit old for girls your age to appreciate his merits. Sometimes I feel sad that I was so fixated on that paper. Here I was obsessing over what he was and my little sister obsessed over who he was.”

“Oh.”

“But I got a nice brother in law and a helpful document to any gorgons that wish to know more about the intricacies of how their bodies and powers work.”

Yukari coughed as the woman turned off the faucet.

“I have read your thesis in the library. Most of it pertained to how the petrification process works.”

“I decided that was the most important thing to discuss. Gorgons have the innate power to reconstruct the carbon molecules into a crystalline pattern. Contrary to myths and legends, it’s not sight based. It’s done by touch.”

“That’s not how my charm works.”

“You are a different species. I don’t know if your charm would be the same.”

“Is it possible for a gorgon to turn someone to stone with their sight?”

“I’ve actually talked with several gorgons after Maki, and none have verified that such an ability exists. It appears this condition manifests in the early teenage years, and is quite the nuisance. They have little control over it and will often turn things to stone. Considering how many things are carbon based, I’ve heard a lot of embarrassing stories.”

“Can they undo this?”

“Change things back from stone? Yes. Usually a teen will have to ask for some help from their parent, but any gorgon can unravel the process.”

The woman smiled, holding the half-filled test tube out to her.

“Swish this in your mouth and spit it back into the tube.”

Kurumu took the tube and upended the contents in her mouth. She felt like they should tell this woman about the girls. It did not sound like Mr. Nagamushi was the sort to be turning freshmen girls into stone. She swirled the water about her mouth almost to the point of accidentally swallowing it. Before making that mistake, she leaned over the tube and spit it out.

“Are there other gorgons in the faculty?”

“Other than Maki? I’m not aware of any.”

Kurumu sighed. They could not risk it. The teacher secured the cork stopper on the end of the tube and set it upright in a holder next to the syringe. Ms. Sasayaki then grabbed a small plate of ceramic that had a fine powder piled on the black surface.

“If you are willing, I have a couple other samples we could test.”

“Like what?”

“This powder here is a little gift from an associate of mine. She says it is a strong aphrodisiac which should stimulate your body into releasing any potential pheromones your species might possess.”

Kurumu frowned at the powder. She was aware of what pheromones were, but had dismissed them as being tied to her charm long ago. Boys could be charmed with an unintentional glance, but could be somewhat controlled with deliberate thoughts. How could a scent deliver such different messages?

“Could you test that before stimulating her?”

“That is difficult to say. The study on pheromones is quite inconclusive for many mammal based creatures.”

“I could charm a man right now if you asked me to.”

“I find that fascinating. Insects do have the means to release pheromones, though they do so with the intent to mate. Perhaps you have some compound on your skin that quickly vaporizes.”

Kurumu doubted that. Put two guys in the room and she could easily charm one of them without causing the other any trouble. She held her arm out.

“I guess you could take a skin sample. That’s what you need, right?”

Ms. Sasayaki nodded, setting the black dish down to pick up a clear glass slide. She slid the cool surface across the inside of her forearm.

“I suppose that should do, though I don’t expect to see much.”

Yukari sighed, shaking her head before placing her hat back in place.

“Isn’t there a scientific way to test pheromones?”

“Pheromones are an end result. If some secretion put out by one individual is proven to impact the behavior of another individual, it is then classified as a pheromone. This powder here should elevate her body temperature to the point that she will sweat a little, and it will also stimulate other areas.”

Kurumu instinctively closed her knees.

“Is that a good idea?”

“We should be thorough when gathering samples for toxicology testing. I believe the legends do mention cunnilingus, so it would be negligent to ignore obtaining such a sample.”

Yukari snorted a laugh, turning her head and covering her mouth. She was lucky she was out of reach or Kurumu would have smacked that silly hat off her smug head.

“Fine.”

“Excellent.”

The woman dumped the powder into a beaker. Turning the sink back on, she promptly filled it enough for a couple mouthfuls. Cutting off the water, she grabbed a glass wand and stirred the contents till it was clear. Ms. Sasayaki handed the beaker over to her.

Sighing again, Kurumu took the beaker. Taking her first sip, she grimaced. Whatever that powder was, it made this water taste horrid. It took about six swallows to get it all down.

“So how long does that take to work?”

“Three to five minutes. More likely five.”

Kurumu reached over to set the empty beaker aside. She scratched her tongue against her teeth, hoping this after taste would dissipate faster. There was something familiar about it, but this was not the sort of thing she wanted to remember.

“Do you think that stuff would work on a vampire?”

“Don’t lend that little pervert anything like that.”

“I was only curious.”

Ms. Sasayaki chuckled.

“That’s difficult to say. Different species have different recovery rates and some won’t be affected at all. Considering how close the succubi are to humans, I am hoping the dosage I used will be enough for her. As for a vampire, you might need more.”

“I was intrigued with your earlier comment about compatibility with other monsters. My grandfather did not discuss such things in his works.”

“Many of Lord Sendou’s dissertations were compiled in the seventies and eighties. DNA testing was still in its infancy and our lovely monster world tends to be a few years behind the humans. I have voiced my opinions about reopening his old works and getting it up to date, but that is sadly not in Fairy Tale’s interests. I truly empathize with Lord Sendou, knowing how frustrating it must have been when they ordered him to cease all such projects in ninety two.”

“You would think knowing whom it is safe to breed with would be a good thing to know.”

Ms. Sasayaki shrugged.

“Most of those that run Fairy Tale are not interested in knowing how safe it is to sully their bloodlines. They would rather marry their sisters to brothers than produce mongrels.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Mongrels?”

“Monstrels. Mutts. Dogs. Curs. Whatever it is the kids think is trendy to call these children these days. The sad truth is, many accepted pure blood monsters are the byproducts of mixing races. Of course that thesis was never allowed to see the light of day.”

“You seem invested in that.”

“Naturally. My sister and I are not gorgons. This means my niece and nephew are monstrels by Fairy Tale’s standards.”

“Have you made a list of compatible species?”

“To be honest, the list of incompatibles species is shorter. Considering most species can successfully mate with a human, it stood to reason that most monster species could mate with each other.”

“I see the logic, but I still find that amazing.”

“Indeed. There are some that might find the mating process awkward but it still works.”

Kurumu shifted in her chair.

“Awkward?”

“A lot of species have different methods of mating. For instance, I am akin to the human species. I have a menstrual cycle and can be impregnated through sexual intercourse the same as any mammal.”

“Menstrual cycle?”

Ms. Sasayaki frowned, glancing down at Yukari.

“Yes. You do know what a menstrual cycle is?”

It looked like she should know. The amusement in Yukari’s eyes suggested this was not a good thing.

“Of course I do!”

“Oh really? Could you tell me about it?”

Kurumu shifted again. She felt a bit flush over this.

“I’d rather not.”

“Surely a grown woman would know all about the way the body creates eggs.”

“I’m not that stupid. My egg stays in me till a man fertilizes it.”

Most of the Tengu girls from her junior high had started having a few. They would usually miss a couple days of school and be back with the accepted excuse of laying eggs. Her mother had told her that since she was not a Tengu, her eggs would stay inside her body till they were needed.

“That would be a convenient thing, but it’s not how the menstrual cycle works.”

“What?”

“Most mammals have a period where their body will store up blood so that if the egg is fertilized, there will be enough material to make the baby. If the egg is not used, the body expels the egg along with all those materials so that fresh materials can be used for the next egg.”

Kurumu squirmed a bit, feeling flush. Considering they thought she should be having one, she had a good idea where all that blood and stuff would be coming out of.

“That sounds gross.”

Yukari laughed obnoxiously.

“Are you seriously saying you don’t know what a period is? I’ll have you know that even ‘I’ have had my period. You really are a baby.”

“I… well…”

“It could be that her species does not have them. Though I am a little surprised you aren’t familiar with the menstrual cycle.”

Kurumu shrugged, feeling uncomfortable.

“Well… I've never had this period so Mom never spoke about it.”

“She is from the country. And judging by her test scores, they don’t do a good job.”

As annoyed and embarrassed as she was, Kurumu felt ridiculously hot. She reached over for the beaker, thinking of filling it in the sink. But she wasn’t thirsty. Realizing she could not dump water on her head, she slouched back on the stool.

“It looks like the powder is starting to work.”

Kurumu reached up, rubbing her forehead with the back of her hand. She did feel a bit moist. In other places too. She felt like she should take her clothes off. The sweater definitely had to go. Groaning softly, she grabbed at the bottom of the fabric and pulled it up over her head.

“Oh dear. Let me get that sample.”

She dropped her sweater to the floor, feeling a little better. Her body was sweating in all sorts of places. The band of her bra was the biggest offender. She really wanted to take that off, but knew that would cause all sorts of problems.

“Ms. Sasayaki.”

The woman opened a sealed package that had a small square of white fabric in it. She deftly wiped the cloth across Kurumu’s brow before slipping the square back into a bag. The teacher cinched the bag with something like an envelope seal before setting it down by the other samples.

“Is she going to be all right?”

“She will be. It might take her body a little bit of time to work this out of the system, but she should be back to normal before your class starts.”

Kurumu fidgeted with her blouse, undoing the top few so that her breasts could feel some air. She panted, parting the fabric with a hand to make futile fan motions with the other.

“Maybe.”

“So how are you going to get that other sample?”

“Yes. Hmm… Ms. Kurono. How would you prefer to do this?”

Kurumu did not care at the moment. Her body was starting to ache in the way it did when she was having naughty dreams. If she had known they were going to do this, she would have brought a change of panties. This pair felt like it was starting to soak through. Thank God they were a simple white pair.

“Can you stand up?”

She glanced over at Yukari, noting that amused expression. If the girl was not going to help, she should just leave. Yukari flinched, a glazed look crossing her eyes. Her mouth parted slightly as she tilted her head.

“Can I take the sample?”

“That won’t be necessary, Ms. Sendou.”

Kurumu felt hands against her and she quickly pressed her head against the teacher’s torso. She grabbed the woman’s sides, feeling her body tremble. She heard Ms. Sasayaki breath in sharply.

“Oh dear. I think you should leave the room, Ms. Sendou.”

Kurumu could sense Yukari approaching. She parted her knees, freeing one of her hands to tug up the front of her skirt.

“Sendou Yukari!”

“But teacher…”

Kurumu closed her eyes at the drawled protest. She did not know what she had done, but she did not want Yukari’s help. She definitely did not want that.

“Return to your classroom. Ms. Kurono will not be in a condition to see anyone for some time.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Kurumu was aware that Yukari was retreating. She even heard the door close. Hands started to caress the top of her head and the teacher took in another deep breath.

“You are potent. I should lock the doors.”

Kurumu almost fell off the stool when the teacher released her. She was so hot and her nethers ached so much. She wanted it to stop. As the teacher wandered off to do whatever, Kurumu stumbled off the stool and leaned up against the lab counter. She realized one of these rods or sticks was going to be pushed inside her soon and she whimpered.

Knowing this was inevitable, Kurumu turned about and draped over the stool. With her hands free, she hiked up her skirt and dragged the wet briefs down to her knees. She glanced at the doors, noting Ms. Sasayaki was returning from the one further away. She hoped that meant they were locked.

“Yes, yes, Ms. Kurono. I will try to make this as quick and emotionally painless as possible.”

The woman smiled as she patted the top of Kurumu’s head.

“So for the sake of us both, keep your naughty thoughts at bay.”

She hoped the woman was quick and would leave her be. She felt like she would burst at any moment. She heard the woman move some things on the counter and then her skirt was flipped up more. She closed her eyes.

* * *

In good news, if Kurumu ever decided to ditch Tsukune and pursue love with another woman, she could still honestly claim she was a virgin. While the testing had been potentially the most embarrassing thing she had ever endured in her short fifteen years of life, she had survived without doing anything that should have resulted in the dismissal of a teacher.

As promised, the aphrodisiac had lasted only so long against her metabolism. Her state of duress had persisted a little more than a half hour. It had been a rather odd experience to suddenly cease being horny, similar to the immediate relief she felt upon release after holding a piss too long.

Though technically not late for her first class, Ms. Sasayaki promised to put in a word with attendance and sent her back to her dorm for a change of clothes. She reeked of sex, which would only disrupt class. The lab instructor assured she would take the samples to the hospital with the hope of having some results back at the start of next week.

While the walk to and from school had taken a bit of time, considering half that walk was commando, Kurumu had managed to get back in class before the conclusion of Ms. Sunao’s lesson. The shy teacher had not even bothered to question her late arrival, merely smiling before continuing the lecture.

It did not look like things had changed between Tsukune and Moka. It was not like the two had ever talked much between classes to begin with, so she probably was worrying too much over their reticence. Still flush over the morning’s experience, Kurumu did not try to strike up any conversations. She would save her inquiries about golden week for another day.

As was starting to be the trend, Moka had quickly slipped out at the start of the lunch hour to be with Inui. She had not even acknowledged Tsukune, and he had distracted himself with some random chatter with Burumoto. If Kurumu had not prompted him to keep her company, she wondered if he would have actually gone to lunch with the guy.

They had chatted a little bit while waiting in line but it felt like his heart was not in it. She had avoided Moka as a topic, fearing he would not speak at all if she went down that route. They had mostly conversed about club matters and random things along the lines of current popular trends. Not wanting to deal with any remarks from Yukari about this morning, Kurumu had encouraged Tsukune to eat their lunch in the courtyard.

She sighed again, stirring the pot of stew she had thrown together with Shirayuki. They had cooked the meat separately before dumping it in the stew, so at this point it was just a matter of waiting for the vegetables to soften a bit without having the liquid boil. Shirayuki was trying her best to wash the skillet, but the dishwater kept threatening to freeze. The poor girl would have to drain some and run more hot water every time it iced over.

Sakamori was sitting on the floor up against a corner of the cabinets. She yawned, her eyes fluttering open for the third time this hour. She had been rambling about the woes of young love earlier, but had slumped into this stupor shortly after the class project started. At least she was not trying to add any liquor to the stew.

“I still can’t understand how this girl functions in class.”

Taijin shrugged, not looking up from her pot at the other stove.

“This is one of her quieter days.”

The tall brunette was also the troublesome girl's lab partner in science. Since Sakamori had acted out during his lecture, Mr. Hakuru had confiscated the silver flask she usually carried around. The little drunkard had already depleted Ms. Hitori's stash, so she was stuck being sober for the rest of the school day.

“At least she isn't all over us.”

Shindou hopped over to Meirowasa, draping her arms about the girl’s neck and snuggling her cheek against the back of the taller girl's peppered locks.

“Aw… feeling lonely?”

Meirowasa staggered a bit. She rolled her eyes, mildly trying to reach back and disengage from the mischievous blond. Surprisingly, the girl had the white student police armband pinned to the left sleeve of her uniform. Deshi had given it to her during the lunch hour.

“Get off.”

Shindou relaxed her grip, her blue eyes sparkling. Her hands and forearms were wet from doing her group’s dishes, the moisture quickly darkening Meirowasa’s blouse.

“So how's that article coming along? Saw you were speaking to the uppers.”

“Some of them. I hope Ms. Kibashiro lets me finish the rest today, although I think I will still have like a third of your team to do.”

“I'm sure everyone would stay longer on Friday if you ask them to. Did you get Aori yet? I heard you got all the girls from this one's class and the two from Ms. Komeshita's.”

Kurumu favored the girl with a slight smile as she lifted the ladle and poured some vegetable bits onto a saucer. She lifted it up and tasted it, pleased that the chunks were soft enough to call it done. Setting the saucer down on the counter, she turned the stove off.

“I haven't seen Aori yet. I know she's in class eleven, but I haven't made the time to run over during a class break to get it done.”

“She's an odd ball. She has soft blue hair like cotton candy which she has pinned up in pigtails, but she fluffs the tails out so it looks like she has puppy ears. It might be cute if she wasn't as tall as most the boys.”

“You don't have to be short to be cute.”

“Yea, I'll believe that when I hear a boy call you cute.”

Taijin scowled, swatting Shindou's head with a sticky ladle. Smirking, Kurumu hauled her pot off the stove and set it down on a quilted pad. She hoped her partners would not mind taking the heavier thermoses, as a half full one was more than enough to take the place of her dinner here.

“Coach said you would be taking pictures of us as a group. I’m disappointed.”

“Well… I guess you would call her our organizer… anyways she said that would take too much space and set too high of standards.”

“Yea, yea.”

“Since the group is so big, we did plan to break the team up by grades.”

Shindou grinned, clamping down on Meirowasa again.

“So will you run an article about this one?”

Meirowasa groaned, pushing the blond back as she turned in the hold. The two struggled a moment, but Shindou lost interest.

“I think it wouldn’t be a bad topic. Pups like her normally don’t get any major roles in clubs, let alone one that’s so elitist.”

Meirowasa scowled, crossing her arms about her chest and looking aside. The girl had been notably moody all period, but that was reasonable.

“What’s to write? They were too busy to review the applicants properly. It was a fluke.”

Kurumu carefully picked up the pot, angling it to the corner with the pitcher end. Hovering the tip over an open thermos, she lugged the pot up till its contents started spilling in.

“You probably should scoop out some of the meats and veggies first. Otherwise that one will be nothing but liquid.”

She had wanted to avoid making more dishes, but Shindou was right. Sighing, she set the pot back down and opened the drawer with the utensils.

“Meirowasa, you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

She doubted that. The girl was moodier than she had been yesterday. It was not like the feelings over the death of a friend would vanish in a day.

“What was that about?”

“Nothing. Is ours done?”

Taijin was sampling their stew and shrugged. She turned off the stove. Kurumu finished doling out the solids into the first thermos, the liquid now near the brim. She screwed on the cap and set it aside before turning her attention to the second.

“I noticed you paid in cash for lunch yesterday. You don’t have a meal plan?”

“She’s local. Why would she?”

“I thought it might be convenient.”

“They don’t have meal plans for us. There’s maybe ten to twelve local kids a year that might enroll here, so why would they bother?”

“Hey, I was thinking to get a few of the girls together this weekend to see the town. You think you could show us around?”

“I’ll be working.”

“Aw… come on. There must be some hot spots that only you guys know about.”

Having filled the thermos halfway with chunks, Kurumu picked up the pot to add the stew. She knew Shindou was insensitive. There was not a gram of hate in that girl, but she did not even try to avoid pushing buttons.

“Leave her be. It’s a small town so you don’t need a guide.”

“I guess, but it would be fun to have her along.”

“I have things to do.”

Meirowasa glanced down.

“Lots of things.”

Kurumu screwed on the second cap, wondering if that meant a funeral. There had been a couple during junior high, so she was familiar with the attitude. There was still too much in the pot for the final thermos, so it looked like the rest would be washed down the drain.

“About Kanzaki?”

Meirowasa sighed.

“Kawasaki. I don’t want to talk about that.”

Shindou glanced over to Taijin whom was ignoring the conversation to fill up their thermoses. With a frown, the blond touched her lips.

“Where have I heard that name?”

As the pot was light enough now, Kurumu poured what she could fit into the final thermos before setting it aside.

“He’s a classmate of hers that passed away recently.”

Shindou’s eyes lit up.

“Is that the boy you two were partnered up with in science?”

“Yea…”

“Oh. That’s sad. Kazehana said he was nice.”

Kurumu frowned, realizing this meant Meirowasa had been in the same homeroom as this boy. Screwing the lid on the last thermos, she picked up the pot and handed it over to Shirayuki, whom was still struggling with dishes.

“I thought they didn’t put people that know each other into the same class.”

“That’s not a written rule.”

“Oh, he’s also a local? Did he get in a fight?”

Meirowasa scowled.

“Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know. You always hear about them getting in fights and killing each other over stupid things.”

“Asuka.”

“What? It’s what everyone says.”

“Yea… Ms. Hitori, can we leave when we’re done?”

The teacher did not look up from her magazine. She turned a page, her black blouse creasing at the shoulder.

“Clean your stations.”

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Meirowasa grabbed up her schoolbag, slinging it over her shoulder.

“Aw… don’t be like that. I’m sorry. I don’t know your friend and I don’t know what happened. But I like you.”

Meirowasa fixed her bag up and grabbed the thermos nearest Taijin. She glanced at Shindou and sighed, shaking her head. Without a word, she stalked off to the nearest door. Picking up her own thermos, Kurumu had half a mind to do the same.

“You going to be okay with the dishes?”

Shirayuki grunted, shaking her head as she ran more hot water.

“I’ll manage.”

“I hope she isn’t mad at me. It’s not like anyone thinks poorly of the girls. The boys are the problem.”

“Huh?”

“They even let Sawayaka have the class rep position. Nobody has issues with the girls.”

Taijin swatted the blond with the ladle again.

“Do the dishes, you bum. I’m not staying here to help you.”

Shindou drawled out an affirmative, turning away to attend to the mountain of dishes she had been ignoring.

Sakamori was still sulking in her corner. It was obvious Shirayuki was trying to give the girl some space, but with the sink right there it was difficult. Figuring to at least make her chore a little easier, Kurumu picked up another thermos and walked over to the pouting redhead. She gently tapped the girl's bared knee with her shoe.

“Hey, you're coming with me.”

The sullen girl turned her eyes up. Kurumu had almost forgotten the girl had different colored eyes, since they normally were not this wide. Sakamori glanced away, plopping her head against the cabinet with an audible thud.

Refusing to be ignored, Kurumu thrust the thermos in the girl's face. The redhead groaned and reluctantly took it. With her hand freed, Kurumu grabbed up her article notebook before pawing at Sakamori's hip.

“Get up. You're in the way.”

Sakamori groaned again, but reached up to the counter and tugged herself up on her feet. Setting the thermos aside, she dusted off her skirt and fussed with her blouse. Figuring the girl was at least out of Shirayuki's work space, Kurumu turned about and headed for the back door.

The hallway was deathly quiet, as she was about five minutes before the bell. The science room she walked by was empty as usual. She had thought the room was not used until noting a class in their yesterday after their impromptu interview. She wondered if Morioka was still upset about that.

With heavy steps, Sakamori caught up to her as she turned into the next hallway. In moments they were walking down the empty serving line.

“You have a boyfriend.”

That was an odd remark. Deciding it needed no response, Kurumu kept walking for the door at the end of the serving line that opened into the auditorium.

“What would you do if he broke up with you?”

That was not a topic she wanted to discuss.

“Why are you asking?”

“Sakura's boyfriend broke up with her. I tried cheering her up yesterday, but she got all mad and now won't talk to me.”

Kurumu vaguely recalled Sakura was the Senjo girl Sakamori occasionally talked about. The two had met at the welcoming ceremony held that Saturday before school had begun. They had joined the drama club together, but did not share any classes.

“How drunk were you when trying to pep her up?”

“Well… club is after school. I might have been tipsy, but not that bad.”

“Could you talk without slurring your words?”

“I don't slur my words.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“She probably just wants to be left alone. People don't like being told things are fine when it doesn't feel like they are.”

“I guess.”

They stepped into the large auditorium. Kurumu noted the volleyball nets and the little wheel cage where all the balls were stored. They had been playing inside this week, in preparation for the competition. Next week the classes would start playing against each other and the class with the best record at the end of two weeks would be treated to a dinner in Mononoke. Not that Kurumu cared that much. She had no aspirations to be on the team representing her class. Even if she tried, she was too short.

“I need a drink.”

“You're fine.”

“No, I need a drink. Is there a water fountain nearby?”

“They have sinks in the locker rooms.”

“Yea… that will work.”

The bell sounded as they were nearing the stage. Ms. Kibashiro would be in her office by now, as they usually concluded a few minutes early to allow the girls some time to change. She had recently realized that there was a gym period before theirs. Most of the time gym wrapped up early to allow the girls time for changing, but that had not been the case yesterday.

“I'm surprised you would drink water.”

“I don't. I change it to sake first.”

“What?”

Sakamori chuckled.

“I'm a shojo. I don't need water.”

Kurumu paused at the door for the locker room.

“So you can turn water into sake?”

The girl stopped and nodded her head, her curly locks bouncing.

“Don't you get dehydrated?”

“Why would I? I'm a shojo.”

“But everything needs water. Like… everything.”

“And I need a drink.”

The girl grinned as a couple girls exited the locker room. The redhead spun her thermos in her hands and then started through the open door.

“Being sober makes everything hurt.”

Kurumu followed after the girl, curious about that. She wondered if a shojo's need for drink was similar to her need for being wanted. It would explain why it seemed like everyone just put up with her drunken behavior.

The locker room was bustling with activity, as girls were shutting lockers and making their way to their next classes. She walked by the aisles of lockers on her left till there was a break in the wall on the right. Sakamori slipped through the gap and promptly walked over to the first sink on the left across from the bathroom stalls. She turned on the faucet, ducking her mouth down to meet the flow as she slurped several mouthfuls down.

“It looks like your drinking water to me.”

The girl held up a finger, gulping down the water noisily. After a good half minute passed, she cut off the flow and staggered upright. With a squeak of a hiccup, she leaned on the counter and tilted her head.

“Mush better.”

“How did you…”

“She didn even git fro bed. Lef me in da hall. Had to eat breakfuss by myshelf. I hate eatn lone.”

Not feeling like getting an explanation, Kurumu shook her head and kept walking through the next wall gap. The large room behind the row of toilets was littered with weights and exercise equipment. She wondered if anyone used these things considering it all was in the same spot as when she had first seen the room.

Kurumu veered to the right, walking through the open door for the gym instructors' offices. It was a noisy, cramped space, but not nearly as bad as the faculty offices at the front of the school. Half walls had been built up to clearly define each teacher's work space, though it was clear the ladies only used these dividers for hanging photos of their family and clubs. Each desk had a small stool similar to those in the science labs.

All six of the gym teachers were seated at their respective desks, chatting among themselves as they scribbled notes in their notebooks. The tallest woman was Ms. Takaku, whom worked with the second years. She had ashen black hair that she kept up in a string of braids that ringed her head. Each braid ended in an ivory bead that dangled upon her broad shoulders.

She was talking with Ms. Amekoshi, whom was the swimming club's advisor. Frail in comparison to all the others, the quiet instructor was the youngest of the group, despite the whiteness of her flowing curls. As she did look smaller than some of the seniors from the swim club, it was safe to assume she had not been that involved with the pool fiasco.

She quickly turned her attention to the two desks closest to the door. Ms. Hoshineru was seated with her back to the door, busy with her notebook. Her angelic blond hair was short in the back and sides but rugged on the top with bangs that would hover at her eyebrows. They had briefly talked about doing an article on the volleyball team next, but the curt woman had concluded it would be better to do it at the start of the second term, when it was closer to their season.

Ms. Kibashiro was at the next desk and she was chatting with a girl with soft blue hair. The girl glanced at her with eyes tinged with lavender. Her thin lips managed a slight smile.

“This the girl?”

The instructor whirled about in her stool. She laughed, tousling her own shaggy hair as she gestured.

“Ms. Kurono. Tomo was hanging out since she heard you were looking for her.”

The teacher grinned with a small fang slipping out over her bottom left lip.

“I take it you'll be speaking with the rest of the juniors today. Just try to not interrupt their class. Chiyo can be such a nag.”

“Ms. Kibashiro, we should at least try to be a good example to our students.”

Kurumu smiled, assuming Chiyo was the first name of one of the teachers. Ms. Kibashiro Mizuki stuck her tongue out at Ms. Hoshineru Fumiya's remark.

“I promise not to be a bother.”

“Well don't just stand there, darling. Tomo will be late to her class.”

The coach spoke with an endearing drawl very few girls possessed.

“It's okay. Ms. Tomarigi doesn't start class right away.”

That was the name of the woman running the choir. That probably meant this girl had taken music as her free elective. Kurumu glanced about for a free space to set her thermos but promptly handed it off to Sakamori when the redhead stumbled into the office. With her hands free, Kurumu flipped open her notebook and pulled her pencil free from the binding.

“Should we try to do you as well, Ms. Kibashiro?”

The woman wagged her hand dismissively.

“After class, girly. Half these girls can't set a ball if their life depended on it.”

“I'm content that there are still enough girls whom acknowledge it as a competitive sport.”

Kurumu smiled, recently informed that most monster high schools only fielded a varsity team for volleyball. A few could scrape together a junior team, but Yokai only had fourteen girls. Many freshmen whom would not make the varsity team as juniors moved on to different clubs.

Kurumu started rattling off the short list of generic questions the group had decided was the most appropriate. It was mostly a list of facts like which junior high they came from, birthday, height, favorite things, etc. Depending on how chatty the girl was, the inquiry could take as little as five minutes. Tomo Aori was one of the quieter ones so they were able to wrap it up right after the instructors shooed them out of the office.

Sakamori had been sent off to get dressed for gym, but Kurumu already knew the girl barely participated. The redhead usually sat on the sidelines, often wandering about to hang on whomever struck her fancy. She did not limit her antics to her classmates, as there was enough Sakamori to go around. She had even forced herself into assisting Kurumu's interviews yesterday, which had resulted in a scolding from the instructors.

Tucking her pencil back into the folder binding, Kurumu smiled and thanked Aori for her patience. As she started back for the lockers, she heard the bell sound the start of the hour. She glanced over the many entries in her notebook, smiling. She had never done anything like this.

Ms. Kibashiro had given her a list of all the girls and which gym group she would find them in. She still had the three juniors from Ms. Takuka's group, but she wanted to talk to the two from Ms. Fujita's class first which meant Ms. Yaisoku. That would be the auburn haired woman that tied her tresses loosely in a gossamer tail at the nape of her neck.

She walked back into the auditorium, noting four of the teachers were already gathering up their students in groups and pairing them up for the standard stretches. Noting Ms. Kibashiro and Ms. Yaisoku, she deduced the seniors were still using the practice gym.

Brandishing her notebook, Kurumu set on a diagonal path across the gym floor to Ms. Yaisoku’s group. The two girls were a Hayagawa Ai and Kokawa Koneko. Knowing how the track girls usually paired up, she surmised the two would be together.

Ms. Yaisoku noted her approach and kindly pointed at a pair of girls. One was the tallest of the group, easily about the same height as Taijin. The fluffy haired one, whose bangs hid her eyes, was closer to Moka’s height.

“Would either of you be Ms. Hayagawa?”

The tall one tilted her head, the jet black tail swishing slightly against the base of her neck.

“Oh, you’re the newspaper girl.”

The girl with the crimson mop on her head turned her lips into a freakishly wide grin. A glint of gold peeked out from beneath those bloody locks. She held her hands up and took a menacing step forward.

“She looks tasty.”

The tall girl snatched the other one by the collar, effortlessly hauling her up from the floor. The mop girl surprisingly went limp.

“Don’t mind Kokawa. She likes scaring first years.”

Kurumu smirked, already having endured this routine from one of the seniors. She pulled her pencil from the folder and leaned on her back foot. She thought about doing the interviews first, but decided it would be better to get this nagging thought out of her head.

“So I heard the two of you are in Ms. Fujita’s class.”

“We are.”

“That’s the class with Inui, right?”

“That womanizer? Don’t tell me you’re into that trash.”

Kurumu quickly shook her head, but she was surprised at the angry response. The Ota girl had not been as gruff about her displeasure.

“I was just wondering.”

“Don’t bother. I think he went through about four girls before we blacklisted that whore. If you’re asking, I guess he’s taken his act to the first years.”

The shorter girl grinned like a cat, still dangling in Hayagawa’s grasp.

“He always does the same thing. Sweet talks a girl and joins whatever club she is in. Then once he’s had her way with her, he breaks up and withdraws from the club.”

“Whash thish abo breakin and quittn clubsh?”

Kurumu groaned as Sakamori draped onto her back. The girl was not even trying to stand, letting her full weight bear down on Kurumu.

“Just some guy you girls should be avoiding. Trust me on this. Inui is bad news.”

“Inui?! Our Inui?! The one tha broke my Sakura?”

Kurumu frowned.

“What?”

“Inui… Inui Junya.”

* * *

Kurumu had managed to get the five juniors interviewed along with the coach, but the new information about Inui gnawed at her. Apparently Inui had withdrawn from the drama club yesterday to pursue his new woman, leaving Sakamori’s friend in the process. Sakamori had not been capable of giving the juniors enough information to sate curiosity on how far things had gone with the girl, but they seemed rather convinced it had been all the way.

It was difficult to pay attention in class with her thoughts on how she would broach the subject. It did not even matter if Inui was a vampire. She did not want Moka mixed up with a guy that blatantly used women in such a heartless manner. It annoyed her even more that Morioka had even considered adding the guy to their club. It seemed unlikely for him to be that clueless about Inui’s reputation.

And there was that whole other issue that should be resolved today. She had given him a day to handle the matter of the missing girls. He had better have some good news, or she was going to turn this over to Ms. Sasayaki. If Mr. Nagamushi could truly fix those girls, she doubted they would hesitate in outing the one responsible for their condition. Asking for more time for the sake of a juicy article was not going to cut it.

Kurumu drummed her fingers on her desktop, staring at Moka. Moka had noticed the attention, but was nervously trying to take notes over the various human jobs a Dryad could pursue without drawing undue attention. She took a mental note how easy it was to make the vampire squirm, toying with the idea of doing this when she did not have such serious issues pressing on her mind.

“It looks like that is all the time we have for the day. Ms. Nazohashi.”

Moka relaxed considerably, turning a slight smile at her.

“Stand.”

Kurumu set her pen down and got up from her chair. She had a feeling if she remained seated, she would have a harder time keeping Moka here.

“Bow. Dismissed.”

Leaving her things on her desk, Kurumu walked up to Moka and crossed her arms under her breasts. Moka frowned, slipping back into her seat to gather her things and put them in her schoolbag.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just want you to stay here. We have club matters to discuss.”

“If it’s about the article, I turned that over to Tora this morning. If there’s something that needs editing, I’m sure you guys will let me know.”

“It’s not about your article.”

Moka paused. She slowly put the last of her notebooks into her schoolbag.

“Then what is it?”

“Something that I don’t want to talk about with half the class here.”

Moka sighed, setting her bag on the desk.

Satisfied that Moka was going to stay put, Kurumu glanced about the class. She quickly waved as she stepped back, allowing the grinning Burumoto to step by her. He only grinned and nodded, clapping his hand on Tamaishi’s shoulder as the two slipped out the back.

It looked like most of the class was gone. Hiboshi and Arashimideru were chatting with Irewata as the bouncy girl swept the floor. It did not look like they planned to help, which meant most of the work would have to be done by Natsudera and Chousei. Nazohashi had also picked up a broom to sweep up the spots the distracted Irewata was missing.

It was not long before Yukari came in through the back door. Their eyes met for a moment, but the brat quickly glanced aside with a notable flush on her cheeks. Forcing a cough in a tiny fist, Yukari strolled over to her.

“We will say nothing about this morning.”

Kurumu smiled, thankful that there had been so few witnesses to that.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Exactly. So… are we waiting for him?”

“Yes and no.”

“Which is it?”

“I guess you could take Tsukune with you right now.”

“Hold up. I thought you said we had club matters to discuss.”

Kurumu turned about to regard the vampire.

“We do.”

“Why would that not involve Tsukune and Yukari?”

Kurumu sighed, aware that Tsukune had taken mild interest.

“I don’t think either of you have noticed, but we added another girl to our missing list yesterday.”

“We did?”

“From our class, no less. Genzouyaki.”

“The girl that’s always sleeping?”

She was surprised Tsukune had even known that about the girl, given how little attention he seemed to pay to the others. She suddenly realized why. While he could be socially awkward, it was more likely he was avoiding their classmates on purpose. He was human.

Flush over not realizing this sooner, she nodded.

“Yes, that's her. We’re up to seven girls and Yukari and I reported this directly to the Headmaster.”

Nazohashi had wandered over, clearly interested in the conversation.

“You spoke with the Headmaster?”

Kurumu paused. It felt odd that Morioka had not mentioned it to the girl, but he had intentionally kept Nazohashi ignorant about the storage shed. Perhaps he had felt their minor tussle with Kuyo was not worth worrying the skittish class rep over.

“Yes. You did pick up that Genzouyaki is now in our list?”

“I did. I wonder why Senior didn’t mention it.”

“He was in a bit of a hurry yesterday. Apparently talking with the Headmaster was inconvenient for him.”

“So that was what was going on yesterday. Everyone left and I was confused. I didn’t know what to tell Ms. Deshi when she asked about the club.”

Kurumu was aware of Hiboshi’s interest in the conversation. She recalled that the girl was connected to the student police in some fashion. She noted the soft yellow of Hiboshi’s eyes before the girl turned away. The girl made some remark which prompted Irewata to set the broom down. Picking up their things, the trio walked out the back door.

“Anyways, Yukari knows everything that’s going on and she still needs to finish her article.”

Yukari thumped her chest proudly.

“Both statements true.”

“So you don’t need to be here. You said you needed Tsukune to help with your article, so you both should take off now.”

There was a lot of things she wanted to say and she did not want Tsukune around to hear them.

“But what about the missing girls?”

“I’ll handle that, Yukari.”

Yukari pouted. She huffed indignantly.

“I think you’re being stupid. Tsukune, let’s go.”

“Uh… sure, I guess.”

Tsukune was clearly confused. He managed a smile as he got up from his desk. Shouldering his bag, he stepped between her and Nazohashi to fall in step behind the little witch.

“I’ll see everyone tomorrow.”

Kurumu managed a smile as he left the room. Her slight smile turned sour as Inui slinked around the doorway, allowing Tsukune and Yukari to pass.

“Are you done with your favors to Ms. Ishigami?”

“She hasn’t said much about what she wants. I think she just likes having someone around while she paints.”

“Are you modeling for her?”

“I did the first day, but now we just talk.”

Inui slithered up next to Nazohashi, grinning.

“So what are the ladies talking about?”

Kurumu glanced about the room, figuring there would not be much harm if she opened up on this guy. The two girls still lingering would be fair warned about this snake.

“I want to talk about you and your relationship with Ms. Senjo Sakura.”

The boy grinned.

“Oh. What is there to talk about? We tried a bit of dating because we shared the same club, but then I found this lovely woman here. There was no point for me to keep stringing that girl along.”

“So you admit you were dating her at the same time as Moka.”

“Dating? I suppose you could say I was, but there wasn’t much going to happen there. That little girl is a Dryad. Adorable, but not someone I could have a serious relationship with.”

Kurumu scowled.

“Moka, I’ve been hearing quite a few things about this guy from the girls on the track team. He dated several girls last year and would break up with them when he got tired of them.”

Inui smirked, leaning back and thrusting his hand in his left pocket.

“Tired of them? Of course the girls would present it that way. Yes, I did date a few girls, but I would drop them the moment I found out they were not my kind. They should thank me for such consideration.”

“Thank you?! You were using them!”

“Using them? I gave presents to every girl I dated, took them out to eat, watch movies, and even bought clothes for one of them. I hardly consider anything I did, using them.”

Kurumu scowled, quite aware how much money Moka had been given for her birthday. If all vampires were like that, his monetary loss was nothing compared to taking away a girl's innocence. Besides, most girls were forthcoming about their true forms.

“And what? That gives you the right to use them? Because you paid for it?”

“Kurumu, just stop.”

“Are you claiming that I, a monster of the purest blood, was engaging in irresponsible sexual acts?”

His teeth glistened as he pointed at her.

“Don’t confuse my kind with yours.”

“And what kind would that be, Mr. Inui?”

Ms. Ishigami was standing in the doorway with both her hands in the pockets of the white overcoat she usually wore. Smears of sky blue and canary yellow dotted the sleeves and sides. She stepped into the room, her black flats clipping loudly on the floor.

“It’s Ms. Ishigami!”

“So cool!”

The teacher offered a mild wave to the two girls still cleaning the room. She had her usual bandana wrapped about her head, blond braids peeking out from beneath the fabric. While she was taller than any of the girls in the room, she was notably shorter than Inui.

“I’ve seen you hanging around Ms. Akashiya quite a bit lately. I would advise against that.”

Inui favored the teacher with a wide smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with me hanging around my new girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?”

Ms. Ishigami chuckled.

“You are in way over your head.”

Moka quickly got up out of her seat and bowed to the teacher.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Ishigami. We were discussing a club matter.”

“Ah yes. I was hoping to speak with your club. I notice Mr. Aono is not here, and I don’t recall you ever mentioning this one.”

“I am not officially a member.”

“Um… Tsukune left with Yukari a few minutes ago. I don’t think they will be coming back.”

“A pity. Which one is Yukari?”

“The little girl. Sendou Yukari.”

“Ah yes, the genius granddaughter. I’m sure I can catch up with those two at a later time.”

“Catch up?”

“Yes, there is a small matter your president wished for me to discuss concerning the article you were writing.”

“Is there something wrong?”

“Oh, nothing for you to worry about. Though I should not keep you any longer. I’m sure Mr. Inui is dying to take you out for an extravagant dinner.”

“Well if you don’t need her, I would be more than happy to.”

Ms. Ishigami smiled, resting a palm on Moka’s shoulder.

“You sure about this?”

Moka glanced away.

“I don’t have a choice.”

Inui grinned draping his arm about Moka’s shoulder.

“Yea, we can’t fight the rules now, can we? I know a nice place.”

Moka nodded and dutifully walked alongside the young man. Kurumu was overly annoyed with how submissive Moka was over the stupid rules. If Moka had to marry a vampire that badly, they could always wait for the next one. It did not have to be this one.

“I hope she breaks him in half.”

“Ms. Ishigami?”

“I said that aloud, didn’t I? I’m sorry. Well, it looks like our audience is gone, so shall we join your president?”

Kurumu noted the two girls had left at some point. She frowned at the art teacher.

“Join him?”

“Yes. We were going to discuss the matter with him. You are aware that the art building is separate of the main building.”

While aware of this, she still had no idea where the art building was.

“I haven’t read Moka’s article yet. Is there something wrong with it?”

The woman smiled, resting her hand on Nazohashi’s shoulder.

“Perhaps. He didn’t tell me all the details. I was hoping he would explain the issue in depth when I brought more of the club around.”

Kurumu glanced at Nazohashi and they both shrugged. As the woman had started for the door, they both followed. Kurumu was starting to wonder what exactly Morioka had an issue with. He probably had made no headway with finding the culprit of the missing girls and was using this to stall for more time. She sighed, realizing that was the most likely scenario.

They started down the hall, walking towards the front of the school.

“Have you made any progress on your track article?”

“About two thirds. I arranged a shoot with the film club for Friday after school. I could use your help since I have like thirteen girls left to interview.”

“I can do that.”

“Hey, Tora. Have you talked with Morioka much this week?”

“Not really. He never came back yesterday and was kind of evasive Monday.”

“You don’t see him during the lunch hour?”

“I’ve taken to eating my lunch with Ms. Deshi this week. We get along well enough, and I keep her up to speed with our club.”

“I guess that’s fine. I’ve been trying to eat my lunch with Tsukune, but I feel like he’s been taking this Inui matter real hard.”

“How he treated those girls does sound horrible, but he did have some points. I’ve always known monsters did not look kindly upon mixed bloods, but I thought that was just my mother.”

“How does that translate to him having points?”

“Well… it’s not like he could have a serious relationship with any of those girls. I don’t even have this impression that he actually cares about Moka as a person, but I feel like both of them are thinking they have to go along with it, because there are so few of their kind even available to date.”

Kurumu grimaced. It was like they were talking about an arranged marriage. She knew some families still did that, but it felt so dispassionate.

They walked down the winding stairs in the main hall. Kurumu flinched at the site of Ms. Kagome walking out of the teachers’ lounge. The woman caught sight of them and quickly moved in front of Ms. Ishigami.

“Ms. Ishigami. Why are you here?”

“Is there an issue with me being here?”

“No, I mean… I have need of this girl.”

“What?”

“Ms. Kurono. She has been taking special lessons with me to improve her math skills.”

Ms. Ishigami sighed, glancing over her shoulder at Kurumu.

“I suppose you can have her. Come along, Ms. Nazohashi.”

Kurumu sighed, wishing the art teacher had put up more of a fight. There was no way she could argue about the missing girls right now. It would have to wait for tomorrow. She offered Tora a slight wave as the girl went to retrieve her shoes from the lockers in the front.

“Shall we begin?”

Kurumu sighed again, following after the strict math teacher.


	25. Resolving Matters

Kurumu knocked on the glass, peering down the hall. Some showers were running as it was almost half past six. Eventually some guy would notice her and let her in.

She had woken up in only a tank top this morning. The growl in her stomach was tame, meaning she had at least picked up something to snack on again. She wondered if the staff could confirm daily usage of her card. She knew she could check the balance, but she could not recall how much had been on her card after lunch yesterday. She probably should pay more attention to that.

She had exchanged greetings with the little shower singer from her floor before taking her own. The tiny Ms. Dakuhime lived at the end of the hall and was part of the choir. While the girl had to be taller than Yukari, Kurumu had absently commented about the girl possibly being another smart girl that was in high school early. The flustered girl had quickly confirmed her age, and happened to be a couple weeks older than Kurumu.

Kurumu rapped the back of her hand on the glass again. It had been days since she had walked with Tsukune to breakfast and she was not in the mood to deal with Moka. She had stated a strong case against that player but Moka had chosen him over her friends. If it was going to be like that, then it was past time to make some advancement in her relationship with Tsukune.

She knew she should not push anything physical. She could wait the few days it would take to get those test results. In the meantime, she wanted him to at least start flirting with her. There was no reason for him to hold back for Moka’s sake. Perhaps some flirting would knock some sense into the girl.

Even if Moka insisted on being some submissive doll, Kurumu craved some light hearted banter. The issue with Inui was out of her hands and she was unsure what she should do about the stoned girls. It was not like this was something she could tell Tsukune. He was only human. It was best if he was not involved any more than he had to be.

At long last the door on her right opened and a yawning boy in a grey shirt and block boxers stumbled out. Yamabato scratched his slick black locks as he shuffled over to the door and pushed it open for her. He yawned again, covering his mouth.

“Morning.”

“It’s early.”

She grimaced as the pungent odor assaulted her even before she could step through the door. She would never get used to this.

“You need air fresheners. Lots of air fresheners.”

Yamabato chuckled.

“You could wait outside while I wake him up.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

She walked quickly down the hallway to Tsukune’s room. She smirked, noting the small peep hole. Tilting her head, she glanced through to spy his slumbering form swathed in dark blankets. She could hear the buzz of his morning alarm, which he was ignoring. Grinning, she knocked on the door.

“So any crazy things happening that a girlfriend should be worried about?”

“I wish.”

“Did the guys have dinner with Tsukune last night?”

Yamabato shrugged.

“I didn’t see Tsukune last night. What were you up to?”

“Ms. Kagome’s special sessions involve some hypnotherapy stuff that takes some time and leaves me incoherent. By the time I get to the dining hall, there usually isn’t anyone around.”

“Is anyone else in these sessions?”

“No. Why?”

Yamabato frowned.

“That’s strange. Don’t get me wrong. I think some of your math answers are hilarious and you probably could use the help… but I can’t believe you would be the only student she would do this for.”

Kurumu had never thought to question being singled out. It did sound odd, but maybe it was possible that she had the lowest math scores of all the students Ms. Kagome taught. That was not reassuring.

“I know some of the guys wish they had been so lucky.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes. She pounded on Tsukune’s door again.

“Tsukune! Get up! There is a reason you have an alarm clock!”

“I should go take a shower.”

He started back to his room.

“Hey, Yamabato. Thanks.”

He waved dismissively as he kept on pace for his door. She waited for him to duck back into his room before knocking on Tsukune’s door again. She glanced at the watch on the inside of her wrist, worried about the time. They really should be out of here before seven if they wanted to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. She peeped through the hole once more, noting a white shirt staggering close. Backing away, she smiled as the door opened.

He looked pale as he nervously glanced about. Compulsively Kurumu stepped in and wrapped her arms about his slender torso. She nuzzled her head against his chest, breathing him in deeply. He was warm and had such a delicious scent. Her body was already reacting, wanting to rub more against him.

“Kurumu.”

She pushed him back off the door as she leaned against him. Lifting her foot, she felt for the door and guided it back to give them some privacy. His hands gingerly touched her shoulders as she heard the door close.

“Kurumu. I need to get dressed.”

“You smell nice.”

His body relaxed.

“I should shower first.”

“Do I smell nice, Tsukune?”

She could feel his want for her. It had been days since she had felt his desire to be this strong. She closed her eyes as she settled comfortably in his embrace.

“I need that shower.”

She sighed, relaxing grip. Taking another deep breath, she backed off a step with her eyes still closed.

“Pat my head.”

“What?”

“I’ve been a real good girl so you should pat my head.”

His hand timidly touched the top of her head. Before she could even enjoy the sensation, he withdrew his fingers.

“Sheesh, Tsukune. It’s not like I asked you to grope my tits.”

She grinned at the feeling of his reaction, finally letting her eyes open a bit, though pointedly aside. She slipped her hand up the strap of her bag, drawing her fingers back and forth between the divide of her bosom.

“I’m sorry. I just… had a rough night.”

Kurumu perked up, barely able to keep her gaze in check. She focused her eyes on the slight hollow where his neck and shoulders met. He had such smooth skin. Was it okay if she kissed him there? No, Yamabato had mentioned Tsukune’s absence from dinner. Something could be wrong.

“Did you eat last night?”

“No… I… I don’t know.”

“You don’t know if you ate?”

“No, not that. I’m just not sure what I saw yesterday.”

Kurumu paused, wondering if this had something to do with Yukari's article. She idly reached out for his hands, effortlessly capturing them. She felt him pull away but she quickly entwined her fingers in his to hold him firm.

“Did you help Yukari finish her article?”

“Oh. Yea, we did do that.”

So it was not something about Yukari's article. She smiled, noting how small her hands looked in his. His fingers were more slender than hers. She gave his hands a squeeze before relaxing her grip.

“So what’s the matter?”

“Well… I forgot my sketchbook in art class.”

“Did you see Ms. Ishigami?”

“Um… no.”

“Oh, I thought you might. She was going to take us over to the art building to talk with Morioka, but Ms. Kagome wouldn’t let me go.”

Tsukune freed his hands for one to rub the back of his neck while leaving the other at his side. After a moment of standing within arm’s reach, he turned about and moved to his closet, intent on gathering up his shower essentials.

“There was nobody there. At least I don’t think there was.”

Mildly disappointed that he had not tried anything, Kurumu wandered over to his discarded uniform. She knelt down and gathered up the dirty clothes.

“How late was it when you stopped by the art building?”

“It was almost dark. I didn’t see anyone, but something felt off. Like I was in danger. And there was that thing in the closet.”

Kurumu dumped the clothes into the small net sack where the rest of his dirty laundry had been gathered.

“Thing?”

He shook his head, taking a deep breath.

“It’s nothing. I’ll be right back.”

Kurumu nodded, scooting over to the blankets as he left the room. Having helped him straighten up his room before, she knew where he wanted to put things away. She neatly folded up the sheets before placing them up on the top shelf of the closet.

There was not much else to do as she waited for his return. Having been in some of the other boys’ rooms, she knew that his was tidy by comparison. Tsukune did not snack obsessively like his neighbor, Tanboshi, nor had he brought a whole bunch of things like Yamabato.

He should at least get a chair. That little niche carved into the wall with the smooth surface could function as a desk. It even had a switch for a wall light directly over the counter. Presently he only used it as a place to sling his keys and wallet, like she did. Though she wanted more than a chair for her room. After seeing Moka’s and Tora’s rooms, an actual desk with a mirror would be much better.

Glancing at her watch, she sighed. She wanted to flirt a little more but she figured he had taken his uniform. He would come back dressed which meant no playful towel tugging or risky teasing. She kind of wondered how big he was. She had seen his bulge but it was not like she had any experience to judge size off of that. What was a normal size anyways? Two fingers? Three? As is, it kind of hurt even putting one halfway in, and it was not even necessary if she just wanted to climax.

She missed her chats with Genzouyaki. Even though they had conversed only a couple times, she wanted that back. Fuck Morioka’s story. When she saw Mr. Nagamushi today, she was going to take him to where the girls were. She could not imagine a husband with two kids would be involved in this mess.

She took a deep breath, pushing aside those sudden dark emotions. She had to be bright, cheery and flirty. If she started acting depressed, it would only cause Tsukune to sulk over Moka. She had to keep his spirits up. She giggled at the thought of keeping other things up too.

After some time of psyching herself up, Tsukune returned with his shower things and his dirty clothes. Apparently he had not remembered his uniform in his hurry to exit the room. Careful to keep her gaze astray, she watched him head for his closet to dress.

“I did speak with Ms. Sasayaki the other day.”

“That was the science teacher?”

“Mhm. She ran some tests and you will be happy to hear that we are not expecting a child yet.”

He stumbled. He forced a laugh as he resumed slipping into his shirt and jacket.

“I thought you were going to ask her about your species.”

“She was more intent on taking samples from me. I kind of got caught up in what she was planning and forgot to ask any questions.”

“Take samples?”

“Oh, you know. Blood samples, spit samples, skin samples. In the name of science, she even poked my pussy.”

This reaction was delectable. Clearly he was thinking of doing some poking of his own. He fumbled with his slacks, trying to bring them up around his hips and hide that eager manhood straining for freedom against his loose boxers. Stuffing the erection down, he zipped up the front and tucked his shirt in.

“Why would she want that?”

“Well, I want to kiss you, Tsukune. It might be worth knowing if there is any truth behind the myth.”

“About making me a slave?”

She nodded.

“I’ve never thought that deep about these things. Why can I charm people? Because I’m a succubus. Was there a need for more explanation? But I guess there are people like Yukari’s grandfather and Ms. Sasayaki that want to know how these things work.”

“What if it is just magic?”

“Then I guess I will have to ask Yukari for help. She is a witch.”

Tsukune took his red tie off a hanger. He had left the knot in place, so he only had to slip his head through the loop and tighten it properly. He folded the collar down and fixed his jacket for a respectable appearance. With the money his parents had given him last weekend, he had bought both of these during the lunch hour on Tuesday, considering how barren his uniform selection had become over the weeks. It had been one of the random topics they had discussed during lunch yesterday.

“Have you ever thought that maybe two people can’t be together?”

She sighed. Not wishing to discuss that topic, she wandered over to the open door. He was closing up his closet while holding his shoes in one hand.

“Do you miss being home? I know in the human world this is Golden Week.”

He paused a moment. With a shrug, he leaned down to put on a shoe.

“I knew when I came here that I would not be going home for Golden Week. It is a boarding school, after all. I admit I was surprised we would still have classes. These are national holidays that teachers would have off.”

“Yea… I had kind of forgotten about Golden Week. I haven’t had this week off since I was ten. Monsters don’t really care about nation pride holidays.”

Tsukune finished with his shoes and walked over to the niche to retrieve his keys and schoolbag.

“It was not like we did anything this week. Mostly hang around the house and watch television. Kyoko used to get me out and do things, but she’s been busy ever since she started high school.”

Kurumu smiled as she started down the hall slightly ahead of him. She heard his door close and he even turned his deadlock in place.

“Your cousin, right?”

“Yea. She was so disappointed I bombed her school’s entrance exam.”

“Were you?”

“Not really. While it claims to be co-ed, Kita was founded as a girls’ high school. I didn’t want to be that weird guy that enrolled in a girls’ school. I only took the test so she would stop bugging me about it.”

“I see how it is. Playing video games was more important than protecting your poor cousin’s heart.”

“Maybe it would have been better if I had passed that exam.”

She reached the end of the hall, pushing open the exit door. She took in a deep breath of the fresh air, waiting for Tsukune to walk out before letting the door go. Without bothering for permission, she snatched up his hand and started down the stairs.

“It’s annoying to here you say such gloomy things. Where’s the Tsukune that stood up to Nazohashi for his right to be here?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You should be angry.”

“Angry?”

“Yes. Anger burns inside you. It moves you. It makes you do something about it. But never sulk. Nobody gets anywhere sulking.”

Tsukune softly laughed.

“I don’t think I could be angry. Violence solves nothing.”

“Don’t be silly. Violence solves a lot of things. We have a whole course on that subject. It’s called history.”

“I guess. But I wouldn’t call wars solutions.”

“But they are. They may not be the best solutions, but that does not make them wrong.”

“So you think I would be better off using violence to solve my problems?”

Kurumu understood his position. As a human, there was no way he could fight any monster in this school.

“I’m saying if you’re options are anger and despair, you pick anger. Even if you do nothing with it, you will feel better.”

They walked down the rest of the stairs in silence. She knew this was about Moka and she hated that. But she stood by her words. She did not want to think how worse it would be sulking over his fixation with Moka. Despair was accepting defeat.

“I’m the girlfriend.”

“What?”

“I’m your girlfriend, Tsukune. I know I’ve been doing all sorts of things this week, but you should have pestered me for more time.”

“I thought we were spending time.”

She sighed, supposing that was true. It was not so much a lack of time as it was a lack of quality.

“You should be touching me more. You’ve said it yourself. Our classmates are still trying to figure out which of us you are dating. If there was ever a time to clear things up, it was now.”

“I wouldn’t feel right doing that.”

“They think you’ve been dumped and you’re acting like you were. Do you want people to think that?”

Tsukune chuckled, shaking his head.

“I haven’t thought much about that.”

She was still angry about his behavior. Now that it had been established that Moka did not need Tsukune’s blood as a food alternative, she had no reason to lug that dead weight around in the morning to make sure Moka had a proper breakfast. If she wanted to be Inui’s play thing, there was no reason for Kurumu to fight for Moka’s time. Decisively, Kurumu lifted up his hand.

“We are going to be doing more of this, okay. And if you can’t wake up before I come get you, I’ll have a word with Yamabato so I don’t end up waiting five to ten minutes outside your dorm.”

“Kurumu. Thank you.”

She blushed as he squeezed her hand.

“What? I haven’t done anything.”

He stepped ahead of her and grabbed her by the shoulder. The embrace was awkward at first, as he still had hold of her hand. She let go as he rested his cheek against the top of her head, his freed hand able to press against her back as he took in a deep breath.

On the verge of collapsing into the hug, Kurumu panicked. Her body was acting all sorts of wonderful and she wanted to rub against him, but Yukari’s words about her charming without sight suddenly scared her. He so rarely initiated contact. Frightened, she forced her palms between them, about to push back.

“Tsukune!”

Mortified, Kurumu turned her head, unable to move. Moka was staring at them wide eyed, her lower lip trembling. One hand clutched the strap of her school bag while the other was captured by a grinning Inui. The young man glanced them over, smoothing his hair back with his free hand.

When had they gotten there? While she supposed they were close to the dining hall, she felt dumb for not having noticed the couple at the end of the pathway. Then again the trees did block the view of the hall, so this was amazingly unfortunate.

“Moka?”

“In that case, I’m not sure what you are waiting for.”

Inui turned, grabbing Moka by the hip. He tugged the startled vampire towards him, slipping his other hand around her arm to her back, pushing her into him. The confused girl looked up only to have a kiss stolen from her lips.

Tsukune’s grip on her went lax, not resisting as she pushed him back a step. Kurumu saw the pained look in Moka’s eyes as she turned her head sharply to break the kiss. Trembling with anger, Kurumu took a step towards them.

“There’s no need to be shy. You never belonged with that boy anyways. He’s not one of us.”

Kurumu was about to lay into him but Tsukune took off running through the woods. She grimaced, hating Inui’s smug expression and how Moka stood there, sulking in his arms. With an indignant huff, she turned away to chase after her boyfriend.

For a human, he could run pretty fast when he wanted to. It did help that she was short, her legs were not in the best shape and running always caused her tits to jiggle more than she liked. It was not that it hurt but more of a concern that she might break her bra. She had to run with an arm holding her babies in place as a practical precaution.

After a couple minutes, she snatched up his hand which caused him to slow. He was panting, shaking his head as he came to a stop. She imagined the main path was somewhere off to their left beyond the trees and bushes. At least she hoped so, as she had no idea where they actually were.

“Tsukune.”

“Maybe… it’s for the best.”

Her breath caught in her throat as tears threatened her eyes. Angrily she yanked him around and slapped him across the face. He staggered, wide eyed.

“For the best?! What about that was for the best?”

“Kurumu?”

“Do you think that was for her best? To have her first kiss taken by some guy that fools around with different girls?”

He stared off, a tear rolling down his cheek.

“I don’t care if he is a vampire. I don’t care if their families decide to have those two marry. I refuse to hand over my Moka to that arrogant prick!”

“What is it that you would have me do? I can’t fight a vampire!”

“It’s better than nothing! What have you done, Tsukune? What have you done? Have you even raised your voice? Have you protested? Have you done anything?”

He clenched his fists, looking away.

“I have tried. I can tell she isn’t happy. I can tell something isn’t right. I have straight up fought for my right to still be her friend, but she won’t listen to me.”

“If you can’t get through to her, then what makes you think I could?”

Because she loves you. She could not say that. She took a deep, steadying breath. She had to be calm. She had to be careful.

“Tsukune. You are much more important to her than I am. You’ve always been on her side. Moka’s vulnerable right now. So when this guy comes by, reminding her how things are for vampires and then you don’t even put up a fight… How could I bring her back from that?”

Tsukune sighed.

“What should I do?”

“Tell her to dump that loser.”

Tsukune snorted.

“You think it’s as simple as that?”

“Yes.”

“And what if that doesn’t work?”

“Then you can be angry. Like I’m angry. And every time you see Moka acting like somebody ran over her dog, you can remind her that you’re still angry and that she should not be with that guy.”

Tsukune placed his hands on her shoulders. She smiled, gingerly touching the hem of his open jacket.

“I guess we should go find them.”

Thinking it would be best that they did not stumble across Moka while holding hands, Kurumu gestured for him to take the lead. She had no idea what Tsukune would say to Moka, but anything was better than nothing. Well, maybe not an undying declaration of love. That could be annoying if there were witnesses.

Eventually they found the main path that went to the school. They had only started a few paces towards the school when she noticed a familiar figure running down the trail towards them. Yukari was holding her hat in place as she kicked her tiny legs up as fast as she could go. Which actually was not that fast. Like it took a whole minute for the little witch to catch up to them, heaving and gasping as she fixed the purple framed glasses resting precariously on her pert nose.

“Yukari?”

“Moka’s in trouble!”

Kurumu glanced about, seeing no signs of the vampire. There were a few students walking to school, but nothing out of the ordinary.

“What are you talking about?”

Yukari held her arms out to Tsukune.

“Carry me.”

Kurumu grabbed the girl by the collar and hauled her off her feet. The witch squeaked indignantly, crossing her arms about her tiny chest.

“I asked a question.”

“Rude. Our vampire playboy has shown his true colors and is attacking Moka as we speak.”

“What?”

“He’s not even a vampire. He’s mimicking an illustration that was added to my grandfather’s work. Anyone that’s seen Moka’s true form knows that’s not how a vampire actually looks.”

Kurumu set the witch down and Yukari promptly tidied up her uniform.

“How do you know all this?”

Yukari smirked, touching the rim of her pentagram glasses.

“I always have my eye on Moka.”

Kurumu shook her head, doubting they had time for this.

“Where is Moka?”

Yukari handing her hat over to Tsukune. Once he had taken it, she started jogging down the path again. Kurumu trotted after the little girl, finding the pace slow enough that she did not even need to hold herself. With his height, Tsukune could keep up without any effort.

“So when did you get those glasses?”

“I’ve been wearing them all week.”

“No you haven’t.”

“I removed the invisibility charm. You know how hard it would be to find these if I had dropped them while running?”

“And you can see Moka with those?”

“When I borrowed those crystals from Ms. Deshi, I figured out how the spell worked. After the trouble I had following Moka around on Sunday, I decided to place that spell on these.”

“Okay, but how does that keep an eye on Moka? I thought those crystals were paired. And with how heavy Moka sleeps, she would probably forget to put on any pair of invisible glasses you gave her.”

“The items did not have to be identical. I simply put the sister spell on something she never takes off.”

Kurumu frowned, unsure what Yukari was talking about. They were veering off the main path towards the old cemetery by the chapel.

“Her rosary!”

“Precisely, Tsukune.”

“Does Moka know you placed a spell on her rosary?”

Yukari glanced over at her indignantly.

“Does it matter? She can thank me later.”

Kurumu had half a mind to have some words now, but she could see the old cemetery up ahead. There was a loud crash of stone crumbling and Moka cried out. Worried, Kurumu ran past the little witch, though Tsukune’s longer legs got him to the scene faster.

Inui had broken free of his shirt and his torso had bulked up considerably. He scowled upon seeing them, but quickly turned his attention to his quarry. He swiped at the trembling Moka but Tsukune dove in to push the vampire aside before the monstrous hand connected. Inui’s palm smashed through the headstone as if it had not even been there.

“Tsukune!”

“What’s it going to be, Moka? Do I have to thrash this boy for you to understand a vampire has no business being with someone so weak?”

Moka immediately stepped around Tsukune, thankfully unharmed, holding her arms out wide.

“Stop! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Don’t hurt him! I’ll do anything! Even quit the club! Please!”

The frantic cries and the tears in Moka’s eyes were too much. Kurumu launched herself into Inui before he could react. She clamped onto his torso with talons piercing through his shoulder as she brought her other first up to smash repeatedly against his face. He gargled out in pain, grabbing her by the waist and shoulder, pushing her back. Reflexively she wrapped her legs about his torso, squeezing him hard.

This was not a vampire. There was no fear, no dread, nor ominous power. She had no idea what this guy was, but he was not going to be able to pull her off him. He had no leverage. He staggered, falling down to one knee.

“Kurumu!”

She shrieked, pummeling his face till she heard something crack. His bloodied eyes rolled back and his body pitched to the side with her in tow. Her breasts heaving and body trembling, Kurumu extracted herself from his limp body. He was not dead, but she doubted he would recover anytime soon.

Yukari whistled.

“He’s right. My Moka does not have any business being with someone so weak.”

* * *

Onimodoki. According to Yukari, Inui was like a shape shifter that could mimic the appearance of other creatures. While she could not explain why Kurumu’s charm did not seem to affect Inui, it was abundantly clear that his level of strength and durability could not withstand an angry succubus. Other than the blatant blood stains splattered on her uniform, her clothes had not even been damaged in the fight.

Moka had been all apologies on the way to school. The vampire felt so bad at not realizing Inui was a fake sooner. She had remarked that hanging out with Inui had been somewhat like hanging out with Morioka. But last night he had been more domineering, even suggesting that she leave the newspaper club so that she could have more time with him.

They all agreed that they would have some words with Morioka about bringing that cad to the group.

She yawned, slowly bringing her hand up to cover her mouth. That asshole Takurami was reading off a passage for Mr. Nagamushi. Turning her wrist over, she glanced at the time. It would not be long before she took care of the other matter.

Oddly Nazohashi was absent. As far as she knew, the girl had never missed a day of class. As Tomisaki sat next to her, he had been recruited as the temp class rep for the day. It seemed fitting, as he had been the one to sit in on the student council meeting for her last weekend.

She glanced over at Tsukune and smiled. The air about him was much lighter. He did have the tiny marks at the base of his neck, but he had wanted Moka to and Kurumu had felt she owed Moka at least one more time. After all, it had been well over a week since her last nip and Yukari assured them that it was not any more dangerous than donating blood. According to her grandfather, drinking blood was how a vampire gained power and that Tsukune was under no threat of turning into a vampire from it.

The Rite of Ascension. Yukari had mentioned it as a potentially fatal way to make someone more compatible with a vampire, but Moka had assured them it was not actually necessary. She technically could have children with other races, but such children would be looked down upon by her kind. Already familiar with the disdain for monstrels, Kurumu did not need much more explanation.

As she regarded Moka, she realized they had not brought up Yukari’s stalker enchantment. She doubted Moka would be fine with that little pervert watching her every move. Guessing this thing with the missing girls could potentially eat up all her lunch hour, she figured she could bring the matter up during club. She would love to hear the brat try to explain her way out of that.

Noting the time was near, Kurumu raised her hand. The quirky teacher noticed the gesture, continuing his reading till the end of the sentence. Lowering the notebook, he garbled something that had her name in it.

“I would like to have a word with you after class.”

He clucked his tongue, wagging a finger.

“In English.”

She stared at him.

“I would like to have a word with you after class.”

He sighed, shaking his head. What did he honestly expect? She flunked the English part of the exam. There was no point for her trying to speak something important in some foreign tongue. He glanced at his own watch.

“Excellent class today! You are welcome!”

He thumped his notebook on the podium. He gestured in her direction, allowing other students to conclude the class was over. It was less than five minutes before the bell, so they would definitely take the early release for a shorter lunch wait.

“If you two don’t mind, I was hoping to bring everyone on this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Could you go get Yukari, Tsukune? She would probably be upset if I didn’t include her on this.”

“Uh… sure.”

“Actually I was hoping to see Ms. Ishigami.”

“Huh, why?”

“Well, she seemed worried about me being with Inui yesterday. I know she hangs out in the art building this hour, preparing for the day’s project.”

“I guess that’s fine.”

“I’ll try to be back for lunch.”

Kurumu waved as Moka headed off for the back door. She doubted they would be able to have lunch, but had no reason to worry the girl. She looked back to Tsukune, whom still had a dubious look.

“Get Yukari.”

“She will still be in class.”

“That’s Ms. Nekonome’s class. Probably should bring her too.”

“What’s going on?”

“Something I should have done yesterday. Now go!”

Having shooed him off thoroughly, Kurumu got up from her desk. Hedoyami was still struggling to free himself from his seat, so she pointedly took the aisle on the right of her desk. Many of the other students closer to the doors had taken off.

Mr. Nagamushi grinned as she approached, already having his briefcase in hand at his side. He absently fiddled with his black tie, though it was as perfect as it could be in the collar of his pale blue dress shirt.

“So what is it that you wished to speak to me about?”

“I understand that you’re a gorgon and can reverse the petrification powers of other gorgons.”

He rolled his eyes.

“I swear, did Ms. Tonari have another accident? What did she do this time?”

She genuinely had no clue whom he was speaking about.

“Actually, this would be the work of someone else.”

“I beg your pardon.”

“Do you recall the posters of missing girls that we hung up a little more than a week ago?”

“I remember there being an issue and the disciplinary team taking them down.”

“Well, there are seven missing girls now and we found them. They were all turned to stone and are being kept in a storage shack on campus.”

Mr. Nagamushi chuckled.

“Preposterous. I have taught here for years and have been notified of every gorgon student that has come through these front doors. I have a hard time believing any of them are capable of a series of kidnappings.”

Kurumu waved her hand dismissively.

“I don’t care what you think about who did it. I just want the girls brought back. Let them tell you what happened.”

Mr. Nagamushi paused, his demeanor changing. He placed his briefcase back on the podium, raising a hand to stroke his smooth chin.

“How long have these girls been missing?”

“Weeks. Some days. It depends on which ones we are talking about.”

“If what you say is true, we will need Ms. Hitori.”

“Ms. Hitori?”

“Those girls will require immediate medical attention. While nobody will actually die while stoned, the body does not take too kindly to being… preserved in such a state for long periods of time. Once I turn them back, they could die within minutes.”

She grimaced. Yukari had made things sound more optimistic.

“Ms. Hitori is probably in her class. I will go get her.”

Kurumu held up a palm. She had this terrifying thought that she could not let him out of her sight.

“Wait! Tsukune will be here in a couple minutes with Ms. Nekonome. You can have her get Ms. Hitori.”

He frowned.

“All right then. What can you tell me about the girls?”

“I… uh… one went missing this last Sunday. That would be Genzouyaki Nerume.”

“The girl that sleeps in class? Hmm. I figured she was simply not coming anymore.”

“This was reported on Tuesday. I was assured the staff knew about this.”

“I’m sorry, but we are rather busy. Short of me being assigned directly to the investigation team, I would not be notified of a missing girl.”

“That’s insane. How would any investigation succeed if the staff doesn’t even know what is going on?”

“I know that Ms. Hitori was part of the first investigation team which involved the two girls that disappeared after the welcoming ceremony. But that case was closed after two weeks when no conclusions or evidence could be brought forth.”

Kurumu scowled. Fucking school policy.

“Well, we found all of them. There’s a third girl that I think disappeared on the first weekend and a fourth one that vanished after the tests. The twin mermaid girls disappeared during the week after that and I already told you about Genzouyaki.”

He stroked his chin again as the bell sounded the end of the period.

“We might be able to take the mermaid girls to the pool. Their water would be more restorative for them than any services the hospital could offer. But those first four will have to be taken to the hospital before restoring them. I can change them back when the nurses are prepared to care for them.”

It was not much longer when Tsukune returned through the back door with a smirking Yukari and a concerned Ms. Nekonome. The trio wandered their way up to the front of the class. Smugly Yukari regarded her.

“So you finally decided to do the responsible thing.”

“I didn’t mean to give him more time than I did. That was Ms. Kagome’s fault.”

“If I had known where they were, I would have told Ms. Sasayaki at lunch yesterday. Ridiculous.”

“I’m sorry.”

“What is going on?”

“Ms. Nekonome. These kids claim to have found the missing girls. If their story is true, we will need Ms. Hitori.”

“We found them?”

“Yes, Tsukune, we did. I didn’t want to tell you because Morioka wanted to keep things quiet until after he caught the person responsible for it.”

Ms. Nekonome touched her breast, her eyes wide with alarm.

“Mr. Morioka has been absent these past two days.”

Kurumu frowned.

“What?”

Mr. Nagamushi set his briefcase down on the podium.

“Ms. Nekonome, get Ms. Hitori.”

“Yes.”

As the teacher scurried for the door, she nearly collided with the staggering redhead that sauntered into the class. She made a slight bow and apology before hurrying out of sight. The redhead barely noticed the teacher, her different colored eyes brightening upon seeing Kurumu. Sakamori held her steel flask in one hand and her wallet in the other. She brandished her wallet at them as she staggered in close.

“Excush me. But hash you seen my Sakura?”

Realizing that Morioka was missing, Kurumu glanced over at Mr. Nagamushi.

“It might be eight girls now.”

“Ms. Sakamori has been blathering about her friend two days now. Nobody…”

She stared at him. Realizing his error, he held his hand out to the girl.

“Do you have a picture of your friend?”

“Sur rah here.”

She held up her wallet. She looked at it and giggled. She unfolded her wallet to reveal the picture inserts, displaying it to them.

“Oopsh, thash mum. Ish thish one.”

She adjusted the picture to a different one, holding it out. Kurumu took it out of the girl’s hand, glancing it over. It looked like the picture you could take at an arcade. The redhead was leaning up against a dishwater blond girl with what looked like wind chimes that had been braided into her hair. The hazel eyed girl was smiling nervously.

Tsukune took the wallet from her, his gaze wide.

“Where did Moka say she was going?”

“The art building to see Ms. Ishigami.”

Thrusting the wallet back in her hands, Tsukune bolted down the aisle.

“Tsukune!”

He did not hesitate or stop. He ran through the open back door, clearly intent on finding Moka.

“He seemed in an awful hurry.”

“She wouldn’t…”

Kurumu frowned, glancing up at Mr. Nagamushi.

“Ms. Sakamori. Could you please go to lunch?”

“Why?”

“Because it is the lunch hour. Now go to lunch.”

“Okay.”

Kurumu smiled, handing the redhead back her wallet. Sakamori smiled, regarding the picture. Stumbling about, she pressed her wallet to her chest and lifted the flask. Taking a hearty swig, she slowly stumbled her way back out of the classroom.

“So is there a reason for us to wait for Ms. Hitori, or should we be heading down there?”

“We should be going. Mr. Nagamushi?”

“Young lady. You are the one that knows where these girls are. I will be following you.”

Realizing this was true, Kurumu lead the group out into the hallway. She paused a moment, wondering if they should take the stairs down here or if they should take the set by the bathrooms. Given that it was lunch hour, there were already so many students lingering by the doors of the home economics room. Decisively, she led the group down the stairs, casting glances over her shoulder to make sure they did not miss Ms. Nekonome.

She was a little worried about Tsukune running off like that. He must have figured out about the missing girls, but it was not like they needed Moka to handle this. They would have teachers with them. Once the girls outed the person whom had done this, they could let the teachers handle the fighting.

As they turned about at the bottom of the stairs, she spied Ms. Hitori with Ms. Nekonome slipping out of her classroom. She raised her hand, waving to get their attention as they approached the pair slipping through the mass of students. Thankfully Mr. Nagamushi had been doing the same, as he was much taller and easier to spot.

“Ms. Hitori, Ms. Nekonome.”

Ms. Hitori tilted her head, her eyes flashing gold before returning to hazel.

“So where are we going?”

“Lead the way, Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu nodded, gesturing them to follow as she continued down the hallway on the side that was not burdened with students. She glanced over at Yukari.

“Do you still have those glasses?”

Yukari peered up at her innocently.

“What glasses?”

“Where is Moka?”

“Oh, she’s probably talking with Ms. Ishigami right now in the art building.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes. She led the group to the stairway on the left. She pushed open the exit door and started off. The teachers paused a moment at the door, but overcame their hesitation when Yukari hurried out to keep up with her. She had a feeling she was going to be scolded about her lack of shoe manners when this was over.

It only took her a few seconds to locate the small path Morioka had shown her two days ago. Confident she had the right trail, she gestured for the teachers to follow. After three short minutes of blazing the trail till the woods were so thick that they had no clear vision of the school, she came across the ominous shack. The eerie stillness remained thick upon the air, daring any life to tread into its realm. Feeling relieved that she would finally have this burden lifted, she hurried her step up to the small ramp that preceded the door.

A new padlock had been secured upon the door frame.

“Morioka had broken into this place at the start of the week. I doubt he put this lock on the door.”

Mr. Nagamushi stepped ahead of the others. He moved to the door, lifting up the padlock.

“I would imagine Mr. Morioka is inside. You can’t surprise a gorgon in a territory they have marked. I’m sure she knows someone is here.”

“She?”

The instructor tugged the padlock down, it breaking off the hinges. Turning the knob, he yanked the door open and strolled inside the dark room.

“With how many of us are here, she will panic.”

“Oh.”

“Yukari?”

“Ms. Ishigami is attacking Moka.”

Kurumu’s heart skipped.

“What about Tsukune?!”

“Never mind him. We can undo anything she might do to those two. While Hitomi has certainly done a strange thing here, I doubt she can cross the line of murder. She must have taken that break up harder than she let on.”

Ms. Hitori clucked her tongue as she walked into the room behind him.

“I told her that man wasn’t worth it. So what order shall we do this?”

“Do you recognize the two from your investigation?”

“It’s dark in here.”

Ms. Hitori held up her hand. Instantly a tongue of flame appeared, hovering over her thumb and extended fingertips. The impromptu light revealed the nearest figure. It was a girl, still clothed in her uniform, with her back to the doorway. As Kurumu stepped inside the room, she realized whom it was.

“Nazohashi!”

The braided girl stood still, her hands outstretched to the other statues in the room. Her expression was locked in a state of shock.

“She must have realized your club found her spot. But there are too many girls here. There was no way she could move them all without being noticed.”

That was why she had sent Moka away yesterday. Having done the twins, she knew she could handle two of them. If not for Ms. Kagome, she would be standing here next to Nazohashi.

“There’s Morioka.”

Their president had been lifted up onto a dusty table. He was thankfully dressed, but his form was locked in a crouching position. His hands were held close together, as if he had been holding something. His camera. His camera was missing. His head was turned slightly over his shoulder, suggesting he had been taken by surprise.

The rest of the statues were stripped bare. Perhaps they had been asked to? It did look like all of them had been posing in some sort of fashion before they had been petrified. One of the twins even had a goofy smile, making it easy to distinguish which one was Tarako. She pointed at the pair on the far table, the smiling twin kneeling upright with her hands on her sister’s shoulders while the seated twin looked grumpy as ever with her arms crossed to hide her small breasts.

“Those are the Unabara sisters. The mermaids I told you about.”

“Hold up for a moment.”

Mr. Nagamushi wandered all the way to the back of the building. He paused by a basin and leaned over. He turned something and the sound of water followed.

“That’s good. I can fix the most recent ones right now.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Take one of the two you were investigating straight to the hospital. Tell them the situation and leave the girl in their care. Then come back here for the others.”

“Right.”

Ms. Hitori hefted one of the unfamiliar girls that had been staring off to the side with a slim smile and her hand covering her crotch. Her other hand was on her hip, brazenly baring her modest bosom.

“My apologies in advance, but your bottom is the best place to grab.”

Ms. Hitori waddled towards the door. Yukari quickly darted inside to avoid being in the way. Ms. Nekonome lingered on the path outside, wringing her hands with indecision.

Once Ms. Hitori had gotten down the ramp, she looked up at the sky. A burst of flame sprouted from her back soon followed with the fluffing of four grand wings of crackling fire. Her clothes caught flame and lasted a mere second before the teacher was in the same state as the statue she was holding. And then she was gone.

“Huh?”

“Phoenix.”

Kurumu glanced at the awestruck Yukari. The girl turned her wide eyes to the other teachers.

“You have a phoenix.”

Mr. Nagamushi had come back from the running water and was looking over Nazohashi. He looked over at the little witch and nodded.

“Yes.”

“Teaching home ec.”

“She didn’t want to teach anything else.”

Yukari shook her head dumbfounded. Kurumu did not understand the significance of Ms. Hitori being a phoenix. All she knew was the woman had vanished in a pillar of flame. She assumed the teacher was still alive.

“How is Moka?”

“Oh… she’s tied up right now. It also seems like there is another petrified girl in the art building. I presume that would be the one Sakamori spoke of.”

“We don’t need to worry about that now. She’ll most likely turn Ms. Akashiya to stone and then try to run.”

Mr. Nagamushi placed his hands on the sides of Nazohashi’s face. A slight glow emanated from his palms and fingertips. In moments the stone took back her tanned skin tone and the girl gasped. She staggered forward into the teacher, whom promptly wrapped her up in a hug and patted the top of her head. Nazohashi’s arms circled about him and she choked out a cry.

“It was a teacher. It was a teacher.”

“There, there. It’s all right, little one.”

The girl sobbed into his chest and it really hit Kurumu. Nazohashi had been so frightened of the other students in this school. She had taken comfort in the belief that the staff would look after her. There was nothing she could say to this. She realized now why Morioka had not wanted her to be involved.

“Save those tears now. You should drink some water.”

He pushed back on her shoulders and she graciously gave him the space. Lifting up her arms, she rubbed her eyes against her sleeves as she slipped around him. Sniffling, she made her way to the back of the room where the water was running.

“Uh… Maki? Do you need me to do anything?”

“Just stay there. I doubt she will try to stop me, but we have no idea what state of mind she is in.”

“Yea, I would guess she’s completely lost it. I wish I could hear what she’s saying, but it’s kind of fun dubbing her lip movements.”

Kurumu doubted anyone could appreciate the humor Yukari had with this. Shaking her head, she made her way about the statues. She smiled as she noted another seated girl. Genzouyaki was cross-legged with her elbows on her knees while leaning forward a little with her head tilted and a slight smile. Returning the smile, Kurumu brushed her fingers across the smooth temple.

“Hey, sorry for taking so long. But I’m sure you heard that idiot over there, trying to play hero. I should have known better.”

Mr. Nagamushi had moved over to said idiot. He placed his hands on Morioka’s cheeks in the same fashion as before. In moments their club president shifted forward before letting out a heavy sigh. Groaning, Morioka straightened up out of Nagamushi’s grasp. Patting himself, he hopped down from the table.

“Well I found the culprit.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“Clearly.”

“I am disappointed in you, Kurumu.”

“What? You’re disappointed?”

“Indeed. Now what shall the title of our article be? Faculty comes to the rescue of newspaper club that was in over their heads. That’s sad journalism there. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you to handle this on your own.”

“Why you little prick!”

He held a finger up to her, grinning.

“I assure you, there are no little pricks in a room full of naked girls.”

“Senior.”

Morioka flinched. He turned with a wide smile as he regarded Tora whom was hovering near the sink.

“Tora, Tora. I’m so sorry about how this turned out.”

She swallowed and gestured to the running sink.

“I should have a drink.”

“Oh, Tsukune has come to the rescue.”

Kurumu flinched. That was not good. Mr. Nagamushi probably assumed Tsukune was just another monster kid, which was why he was in no hurry. She had no idea if she should mention his error.

Mr. Nagamushi walked over to her, gesturing to the statue.

“Which one is this one?”

“Genzouyaki.”

“The Sunday girl. I should be able to safely revive this one, though… I don’t think we have any clothes for her.”

“I don’t think anyone here would care how modestly they are rescued.”

“All the same, I think I would prefer not to have a girl come out of this stasis while facing me in such a state.”

Mr. Nagamushi took off his brown tweed jacket and draped it over the girl. He then stepped around the desk, touching the girl’s cheeks from behind. His fingers radiated the restorative light, turning the stone back to her usual pale flesh. Her half lidded eyes blinked and her mouth turned wide open as she let out a loud yawn. She licked her lips.

“Thirsty.”

Kurumu felt so much relief as the girl behaved like she was waking up from a long nap. She tentatively reached up to grab the girl by her shoulders while Genzouyaki promptly pushed her hands away so she could rub her eyes.

“My eyes hurt.”

“They are probably dry.”

Mr. Nagamushi placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing her forward. The small girl groaned, allowing him to push her off the table. She managed to get her feet down but pitched forward into Kurumu’s arms. She nearly took them both down to the floor, but Kurumu managed to help the girl back up on her unsteady feet.

“Uh… help.”

The teacher slipped back around the desk. He lowered a hand to grab under Genzouyaki’s arm, lifting. It was enough for Kurumu to steady Genzouyaki and herself.

“You should get some water, young lady.”

Kurumu nodded, trying to get the shaky girl to move in the direction of the sink. She glanced about after the first couple steps.

“What do we do now?”

“Not much that I can do. We have to wait for Ms. Hitori to return. When she does, we will know she has things ready at the hospital and then we can take the twins over there to the pool.”

“What about the other girls?”

“Well, I will be traveling separately. So once I’m done with the twins, I will head to the hospital. Ms. Hitori will come back here to get each of the remaining girls.”

“You won’t travel together.”

“I prefer to keep my clothes intact.”

Made sense. She struggled a couple more steps when a hand was offered to her. She scowled looking up at Morioka. He grinned, ignoring her look as he leaned down and hauled Genzouyaki off the floor and out of her grasp. The girl mumbled a slight protest that quickly turned into another wide yawn. Genzouyaki wrapped her arms about Morioka’s neck, rubbing her cheek on his shoulder as he cradled one arm under her knees.

“I’ll have you know that your friend Inui will not be joining the club.”

“Oh? That’s a pity. He will be missed.”

She was about to strangle his smug ass when Yukari squealed with glee.

“How’s ‘Vampire drop kicks crazy teacher for the knock out’ work for a title? Oh, and you should also add a trip to the art building. I think everyone there might need some medical attention.”

“Tsukune?”

Yukari chuckled.

“Oh don’t worry about Tsukune. I’m sure he got hard for Moka.”

Yea… nobody would appreciate that sense of humor.

* * *

It was late. Kurumu ran her fingers through the pink locks of the vampire resting in her lap. Moka had passed out a good twenty minutes or so ago and it had been far more uncomfortable with her dead weight leaning on her shoulder. If she had not guided Moka’s head safely into her lap, the poor vampire would have fallen off her chair.

Kurumu favored the occupant of the hospital bed with a soft smile. The staff had stripped the unconscious boy down, redressing him in the simple gown all medical places had on hand. The covers had been drawn up to his chest and one of his arms remained out and extended, hooked up to a medical drip bag. She understood it was for hydration.

A lot of things had happened today. When Ms. Hitori had returned, the teachers had discussed over the plans. They had been sent back to the school with Ms. Nekonome, while Mr. Nagamushi had left for the pool. Morioka, whom had behaved rather calm and appeared uninjured, had been sent off to fetch Ms. Amekoshi so they could confirm that the twins did not need the hospital.

Nazohashi had returned to the dorms with Genzouyaki. Kurumu had no idea if the girls had come back to school later in the day, as she had steadfastly refused to go anywhere without seeing if Tsukune was okay. Already having her ‘eye’ on Moka, Yukari had politely returned to her classes.

Ms. Kagome had shared a homemade lunch with Kurumu as they waited for the faculty to handle the situation in the art building. The math teacher had agreed with Ms. Nekonome for each of them to cover one of Ms. Hitori’s classes, given it unlikely the woman could return in time for them. When the bell sounded the end of the lunch hour, the two had left for their fifth period classes, leaving Kurumu in Ms. Uchikawa’s care.

Ms. Uchikawa was a dirty gray haired woman that wore her bangs over one of her pale blue eyes. As one of the elective teachers, she had no classes until the sixth and seventh periods. While chatting with the animated health instructor, she had learned that the woman was in charge of the cheerleading squad, was the youngest of four sisters and would be attending her cousin’s wedding this weekend.

She had been spared the woman’s enthusiasm when Ms. Tsumugi had come down to let her know that her friends had been brought to the infirmary. As this was about halfway through the fifth period, the hallways had been empty as she hurried off to check on her friends.

To her surprise, it was not her Moka waiting for her. The silver haired demon had been standing watch over the petrified Tsukune and Senjo. The true Moka did not have much to say, though it was clear she was angry with Kurumu. Stop allowing these things to happen. Before she could manage a protest in her defense, the vampire had slipped the rosary back on. As hair quickly regained its pinkish color, the kind Moka had passed out.

She absolutely hated that other one. It was like dealing with an authoritarian mother whom was infallible. Nothing she could do would ever impress that girl. No thanks for handling Inui. She was just a damn failure because she did not predict Ms. Ishigami going mental. She had to wonder if that Moka was emulating Moka’s family life. Considering the impression that Moka barely had a family life, it made sense.

Shortly after the start of the sixth period, Mr. Nagamushi had arrived in the infirmary to remedy the situation. As Moka had just started coming to, he fixed up her legs and arm first. He then did Ms. Senjo, whom quickly dressed up in the spare uniform that had been laid out for her.

While doing these things, he had answered her questions about Ms. Ishigami and the Unabara twins. The art teacher was being held by Kuyo for the time being. If any of the girls perished, she would be executed for her crimes. Her best case would have her resign from her position with a notable mark on her resume. It was unlikely any school would hire her again, considering most were funded by Fairy Tale and all had ties.

Losing Ishigami was not a huge blow to the faculty. She only taught the art elective and was the advisor for the archery club. Having assisted her in past years with the club, Mr. Nagamushi figured he could handle that role until someone else stepped up. As for the art elective, Ms. Sano, the manga club advisor, did not have any classes those hours and had already been asked to fill that role until they hired someone else.

As for the twins, it seemed both would be fine. Ms. Amekoshi had been super chatty and excited to have her freshmen twins back, but he had amicably excused himself as he was running late for his fifth period class. With that finished and having made arrangements with Mr. Hakuru to cover his last class, Mr. Nagamushi was free to handle things here and at the hospital.

But Tsukune did not recover after being changed back. Confused, Mr. Nagamushi shared a few words with Ms. Tsumugi in her office. When he concluded that Tsukune’s constitution was more fragile than expected and would require medical treatment, Kurumu had pleaded to accompany him. When Moka joined in, the teacher quickly caved in.

Carrying Tsukune in his arms, Mr. Nagamushi had led the girls off the school grounds to the faculty parking lot. There had been a brief argument over which of them would ride in the back with Tsukune, but Mr. Nagamushi had firmly told her to take the front seat. In a huff, she had complied.

From what she understood, there was only one major road that wrapped about Mononoke and the grounds of Yokai academy. To preserve the air of a time before vehicles, this road only turned into parking lots that were located near school buildings and important town services. Even the lot for the hospital was a fair walk to the actual building.

A clothed Ms. Hitori had greeted them in the hospital lobby. Having finished her task while the others attended to their fifth period duties, the crimson haired teacher had gone home. She had spared only one inquiry about Tsukune before focusing the discussion on the girls.

The teachers went their own way while the staff took Tsukune another. The nurses had been amicable, allowing them to stay with Tsukune while he was carted off to a room and hooked up. Other than an hour break to eat dinner in the hospital’s cafeteria, they had not left the room.

Mr. Nagamushi had come for them around six. He paid for the dinner and let them know about the girls. Morisato’s friend, Ms. Kisurusu, had already been released and it looked like Ms. Kinzoku would be sent home first thing in the morning. The last two girls were still in pretty bad shape, but it seemed like it was more a question of when they would recover than if.

He had offered taking them home, which they had politely declined. After telling them not to worry so much, he had excused himself with a light hearted remark about his wife not being happy when learning he had spent most his day looking after a bunch of naked young girls.

It was almost nine. A nurse had already told her that there were visiting hours and that they would be kicked out. She sighed, wishing Tsukune would at least wake up. Even if he spent the night here, she wanted to leave knowing that he would be fine.

“You know, I would have brought the results to school. You did not need to drop by the hospital.”

Kurumu managed a smile at the familiar voice. Ms. Sasayaki stood in the doorway, this time wearing the white lab coat. A small ID badge was clipped to her left breast pocket. The woman sauntered over, resting her long fingers on Kurumu’s shoulders.

“I see now.”

Her fingers lifted up, tracing up Kurumu’s neck to slip into her locks. She stiffened at the intrusion, but she dared not move much with Moka resting against her. Those fingers moved gently in her hair, thumbs moving up to the base of her neck.

“He is a delicate one. The process of turning to stone and back again is quite a shock to the system. But he should recover.”

Mr. Nagamushi had said as much. At this point, she suspected they all knew about Tsukune’s true nature. The school nurse, Mr. Nagamushi and now Ms. Sasayaki. She wanted to trust the faculty, but she felt scared. It only took one to disagree with the notion of having a human on campus.

“What should we do?”

“You? Go home would be a start. I was sent to escort the two of you off the premises, but I could drive you back to your dorms.”

“Will he wake up tonight?”

“It’s possible.”

“I don’t want him to wake up alone.”

The woman laughed softly. Freeing one hand from that comforting massage, Ms. Sasayaki gestured to a corded line that ended with a red button.

“This is a hospital. If he wakes and needs something, there is always staff on duty to attend to him.”

“It’s not the same.”

“That may be true, but we have rules on visitation. I would say come back after nine, but you girls should be in school then. I can’t encourage skipping classes.”

Kurumu sighed. Even if she did, she had to finish her track article. There were too many people counting on her for that. And she did not want Tsukune to still be unconscious this late tomorrow.

As she absently stroked her fingers through Moka’s hair, she realized Moka no longer had a suitable article. They would need to find a new topic if Morioka was insistent about having their first paper ready for next week.

“Do you think you could sit down with Moka for an interview tomorrow?”

“Hmm?”

“Moka was doing an article on Ms. Ishigami, but I doubt we can use that. I was thinking we could do you instead.”

“I can’t tomorrow, but I could manage something Saturday.”

“Thanks.”

“Though I don’t think talking about my work would be all that interesting. Perhaps present it as a family piece.”

“Family?”

“Why yes. Many of the faculty are friends and family with each other. Maybe I can even convince my sister to drag him and the kids along. It has been a while since we’ve all done something like a picnic together.”

Kurumu smiled at the thought of doing an interview at a picnic. Even if this was for Moka’s article, she would not mind tagging along for that. It sounded like it would be fun.

“I’ll check with Nazohashi in the morning if we can do that. She has a better idea how much space we should be using.”

“Well, you know where to find me. Shall we be going?”

“Yea.”

Kurumu reached down and shook Moka’s shoulder. The girl moaned.

“So when will you have those test results?”

“Optimistically, Monday. Realistically, Thursday.”

Kurumu paused in her shaking of the stubborn vampire. She did not have the impression this hospital was very busy. It would not surprise her in the slightest if they were the only patients in the building.

The hospital was a five story building, but the layout was simple. The first floor was waiting rooms, emergency rooms, admin offices and the gift shop and cafeteria. The second floor was all the exam rooms, testing equipment rooms and more offices. Third floor was the labor and delivery while the fourth and fifth floors were nothing but patient rooms, storage closets and unoccupied spaces. They were on the fourth floor and it was deathly quiet in the halls.

“Could you wake up?!”

Frustrated she popped Moka on the side of the head. The vampire groaned, lifting a hand up to rub the spot. Yawning, she slowly lifted out of Kurumu’s lap into an upright, seated position.

“Is it morning?”

Kurumu smirked, getting up from the stool. Grabbing Moka by the hand, she tugged the girl to get her on her feet. To her surprise, Moka tugged back, and rather hard. Before she knew it, the vampire had grabbed her up in a stiff hug.

“Hey. What’s this for?”

Moka squeezed tightly at first, but then her body relaxed. Her cheek pressed on Kurumu’s shoulder, breath tickled her throat. Then she became heavy.

“Don’t sleep on me.”


	26. Fulfilling Obligations

The lunch bell sounded before Mr. Nagamushi could wrap up his lecture. He barked out some gibberish before ending it with a loud 'Magnificent'. Pounding the end of his notebook against the podium, he flashed the class a smile and then gathered up his things. With the folder under his arm and his briefcase in the other, he strode purposefully out the front door.

Kurumu got up from her seat and stretched her arms behind her back. This did catch the interest of a few guys, but it did not linger as most were trying to get to that lunch line. She glanced over at Moka, noting the vampire had packed up her schoolbag. She smiled when Moka noticed the attention.

“I'll see you later.”

Kurumu nodded. They had talked quite a bit this morning on how they were going to handle the day. Nazohashi was concerned about Tsukune's absence drawing attention and what Sakamori's friend might say on the matter. While the girl had been told by Mr. Nagamushi to keep quiet about Ms. Ishigami, things had happened quickly with Tsukune before Senjo had left the infirmary. There was no telling what she might say if asked.

Kurumu hoped Tora was worried over nothing. It was unlikely that Senjo would be asked about Tsukune. The bigger concern would be if Yamabato knew if Tsukune had come home last night and would not write the absence off as a simple skip day. He had not said anything about it to her yet, so she hoped he was as oblivious as the rest of the class.

As she walked up to the front of the class, she noted the duty roster posted on the board. Tsukune was supposed to clean the room with Arashimideru today. She had forgotten about that. She glanced over at the tall, silvery haired girl whom was nodding at something the haughty Hiboshi was talking about. Arashimideru rarely initiated conversations.

“Bye.”

Nazohashi waved to Tomisaki as the boy slipped out the open front door. She pulled out her club notebook and smirked at Kurumu's approach.

“Does Morioka know you're cheating on him?”

“Do you have to always be so immature?”

She shrugged, disappointed that Nazohashi continued to be such a bore. In the middle of all the concern for Tsukune, the ever serious Nazohashi had brought up the issue of Moka's article. With Moka still suffering from drowsiness, Kurumu had filled the girl in with their plans. She imagined everything was arranged as Nazohashi had spoken with Mr. Nagamushi and had given Moka a thumbs up at the start of the class.

“So is Deshi any less creepy at lunch than she is at breakfast?”

“What about her is creepy?”

“I don't know. The way she talks and smiles.”

“She is a foreigner.”

Kurumu still did not know why Nazohashi had insisted on eating lunch together. While she had no real desire to eat with Yukari without Tsukune around, she kind of wanted to catch up with Genzouyaki. She noted the sleepy head had already taken off for lunch, wondering if the girl was going to eat alone or if she would spend her time with Unari.

Hiboshi regarded her with those yellow eyes. Her expression was like she was looking at something beneath her. Irewata randomly brushed an auburn lock over Hiboshi's ear and the girl turned her attention away. Smiling, she patted the mousy haired girl's head and said something to Arashimideru. The trio pointedly walked for the back door, despite the front being closer.

“You can’t expect her to behave like every other monster born and raised in Japan. Even natives behave differently based on their true forms.”

Nazohashi got up, clutching her notebook to her chest.

“Did you have any plans about the duty roster?”

“… You mean about Mr. Aono being absent. As class representative, I should stay in his place.”

“Don’t do that. I need your help with the track team.”

“While that may be true, I can’t ignore my classroom duties.”

“She’s part of Hiboshi’s group. Why not let her deal with it?”

“Because that would be irresponsible on my part. I suppose I could ask her.”

Kurumu sighed.

“You’re such a pushover.”

“There is no harm in asking. Though we should get going. We can’t keep Ms. Deshi waiting much longer or it will cause trouble for her.”

Kurumu shrugged and they started for the door. They were almost the last ones to leave the classroom, noting that Shirayuki was still doodling something in her sketchbook.

“So other than Deshi, have you made any friends here?”

“Huh?”

“It’s been a month.”

“I suppose it has. Hmm… I kind of think of us as friends.”

“Gee thanks.”

“Well… it’s not like you pushed the issue like Moka did.”

That was true. Moka had pushed hard for a first name basis with Nazohashi. If not for the club, Kurumu would probably not have talked much more with the standoffish girl.

“What about Tomisaki?”

“I don’t really know. He helps out when I ask him to, but he’s kind of in his own world when we talk. He talks a lot about the girls from his club.”

That could be awkward. Having reached the first walkway, they turned and started down the flight of steps to the lower level.

“What about you? You seem to not have much trouble making friends.”

“I suppose. Other than you guys in club, I kind of want to be friends with Genzouyaki and Meirowasa.”

“Want to be friends?”

“I guess that’s weird. I like Genzouyaki because she seems easy to talk to. If she hadn’t gone missing, I’m sure we would have been friends by now.”

“I can understand that. It’s sort of how I feel about Morioka.”

“Oh? Are you sure you don’t feel more than that?”

“You only insist that I feel more than that. Finding someone interesting doesn’t have to be connected to… nevermind.”

Kurumu smirked at the Tora’s blush as they reached the end of the stairs. It looked like they were near the end of the long lunch line. She started to angle for the last spot when Nazohashi strode purposefully by. A little confused, she kept in step.

“So who is Meirowasa?”

“Oh, well she’s a girl from my Home Economics class. She’s not in my group, but we kind of share a station. I’m actually paired with Shirayuki, but she’s not much of a conversationalist.”

“So Meirowasa is another girl?”

“Why wouldn’t she be?”

“It just seemed to me like you would make more guy friends.”

“Are you trying to pick a fight?”

“Not really. I was just thinking being a succubus, you would find men more interesting than girls.”

Kurumu sighed, curious why they were still walking down the hall.

“Guys find me more interesting. I don’t particularly find guys interesting.”

“It looked to me like you were making good friends with Mr. Burumoto.”

“That’s because most people don’t get how it is being a succubus. My body needs to be desired. It’s like food. If I don’t get attention, I could starve to death.”

“Serious?”

“I’m not happy about that being the way things are. That’s why I was with Burumoto the first couple days before I met Tsukune. I needed to have someone pay attention to me. School breaks have always been hard to deal with so I kind of went with the first guy that showed interest without me having to resort to my charm.”

“You didn’t even charm him?”

“Have you seen these?”

Pausing her pace, Kurumu lifted her tits to accentuate her statement. She was aware other guys in the hall were taking notice.

“I don’t need my allure to get a boy’s attention.”

“Point taken.”

Nazohashi gestured to Deshi, whom was leaned up against the wall at the start of the main serving line. The girl smiled upon noting them, offering an awkward salute. Nazohashi waved.

“You two take long time. What keep?”

“Oh, just talking.”

“We talk after get food. Come, come.”

“What is she talking about?”

Nazohashi smiled, wagging two fingers as she followed the plum haired girl. Deshi walked several strides down the line till she came to the employee entrance. Without hesitation, the girl pushed open the door and gestured them to hurry along. Aware that several students glowered at this, Kurumu quickly ducked through the doorway.

After the short hallway, they were in a large receiving area which doubled as a break room. There was nobody here at present, and Deshi prompted them to take the corridor on the right. Walking through this, she saw the kitchen ahead and the many staff working hard to fulfill the orders of the student body. There were easily a dozen of them hurrying to and fro about the stoves as well as a couple attending the dishes.

A worker stopped Deshi for a moment, which the girl promptly displayed her armband. The woman jerked her head aside, allowing them to pass. Deshi promptly walked over to the woman loading up the trays and held her hands out. Not missing a beat, the worker reached over to a cart filled with assembled lunch trays. Selecting one, she handed over a tray laden with styrofoam cups and bowls to the girl.

It was very loud in the kitchen. If the workers were talking, Kurumu could not hear them. She was the last to be handed a tray and they walked to the far end of the kitchen angling for the far door on the right. This took them out next to the registers, and Deshi gestured to the open door on the left that went into the large gymnasium. Eager to escape any potential angry glares from her peers, Kurumu quickly ducked out of the cafeteria.

“One of the benefits of being in the student police is they allow them to bypass the lunch line.”

“That seems a blatant abuse of power. What did they even give us?”

“It’s the standard lunch for the PSC. Their leader has a specific meal plan for his members.”

Kurumu hoped the contents of these boxes were edible as they walked across the large gym. Naturally the volleyball equipment was still out, and probably would be for the next couple weeks. Shifting her lunch tray in her hands, she wondered where they were going.

“Do you hang out with anyone from your elective?”

“Huh?”

“What was your elective again? I know it wasn't art.”

“Computers. Remember I have Ms. Sendou and Ms. Deshi in there.”

“You hang out with Yukari?”

“Not really class to social. Mr. Karatsuki very strict.”

“We have a few of our classmates in there so I picked a work station with Mr. Yamabato and Mr. Izanai.”

Yamabato sat one desk over on the other side of Tomisaki, so she guessed that made sense.

“Izanai is the guy that sits behind you in class, right?”

“He is.”

“Why would you…”

“Because I already was sitting next to him for most the day. I saw no reason to sit by another complete stranger.”

“Let me guess. You sit in a corner as well.”

Deshi laughed as they reached the stage. She tilted her head back and smiled.

“Guess right. Full class. Very popular. I work with witch girl.”

Kurumu smirked, figuring Yukari would have taken front center just as she had done in Ms. Sunao's homeroom. With Deshi admitting to being near the brat, Kurumu wondered whom the other lucky individuals were.

Before she could ask, Deshi slid open the door on her left. She had started to think they were going to pass through the girls' locker room to some outside location. She frowned as both her companions stepped into what was probably some storage room for the stage.

Sure enough, as she walked in, that was exactly what it was. There was quite a bit of clutter of things that might pass as props for the drama group. The center of the room had been cleared out for a low table. Two guys and a girl were already seated on the floor about the table, as there were no chairs. One of the boys was decked out in the same black uniform that Deshi wore.

“Meirowasa?”

The girl glanced up from her meal. She swallowed down a mouthful as she made a slight wave to her.

“Meirowasa? The one you were talking about?”

Kurumu smiled as she purposely knelt down beside the girl, putting her tray between them.

“Yea… So you're eating with you club now?”

Meirowasa shrugged, finishing another bite.

“Mr. Koike insists that we eat as a group.”

The short haired young man in the student police jacket held up a finger and wagged it energetically.

“Proper club titles, my trainee.”

Meirowasa rolled her eyes.

“He abducted me from my gym class yesterday.”

“You were not familiar with my proposed routine, so it was necessary.”

“You didn't even let me change out of my gym clothes.”

“You're fussing over nothing. The locker room is right there.”

Kurumu smiled as she pulled off the top of the first container, noting it contained a hearty serving of rice mixed with meat and vegetable chunks. Splitting her complimentary sticks, she picked up the bowl and started to eat while looking over the group.

Koike was a broad guy with a square chin and thick eyebrows that matched the tawny locks on his head. His grin revealed more fangs than a human would possess. It was identical to the grin Ms. Ota had favored her with during her interview, which had Kurumu wondering if the two were the same race.

Her attention drifted to the other guy and she instantly had mixed feelings. She did not immediately recall the name, but this was the tall guy that lived on Tsukune's floor that had let her in and unlocked Tsukune's door weeks ago. She did remember the Headmaster commenting about him being the son of someone important to Fairy Tale.

Swallowing down her food, she gestured to the boy with her sticks.

“So this is like a new group of sorts.”

Koike grinned.

“It will be the best group. I'm sure of it.”

“Well then. My name is Kurono Kurumu and I am from Class 1-3. I share homeroom with Nazohashi and my elective with Meirowasa.”

Nazohashi smiled, having not yet started her meal.

“Yes, that would be the proper thing. My name is Nazohashi Tora, also from Class 1-3. I live next door to Ms. Deshi.”

“I'm aware whom you are.”

Deshi tittered.

“Now now, Lord Koike. Greetings for everyone. Though all here know who I am.”

Kurumu glanced at Meirowasa, whom rolled her eyes again.

“Meirowasa Tokori from Class 1-5.”

The attention settled on the boy from Tsukune's floor. He was casually eating his lunch, ignoring them as his gaze never lifted from his meal.

“Hey, you introduce before me, kid.”

The boy paused, glancing at Koike. Setting his utensils down, he regarded the group with a bored expression.

“Umizake Aoi from Class 1-9.”

He bowed slightly and promptly returned to his meal. Koike got up on his feet and planted a fist on his hip while cupping his chin.

“And I am Koike Kousuke from Class 2-6. I've been placed in charge of these greenhorns to whip them into proper soldiers of justice.”

For some reason Deshi started to clap. After a quick glance at Meirowasa and Nazohashi, both equally confused with Deshi's reaction, Kurumu also decided not to join in.

“So you two are part of Morioka's troublesome paper club. I trust you will keep things respectful.”

“Respectful?”

“Yes. A paper's purpose is to bring peace, faith and pride to our school, something Morioka seems to have forgotten. He disgraces the club Lady Otonashi oversaw.”

“I disagree. While Senior has his faults, he earnestly pursues the truth.”

Koike waved a hand dismissively.

“Truth is in perspective. Someone bitter like Morioka cannot objectively report the truth.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Oh, and you can?”

“Can imagine story. All praise to student police.”

“And what is not to praise? We maintain the peace and security of all students on campus. Is that not why you joined, Ms. Deshi?”

“I join by word of family. Very prestigious.”

“That we are. And what of you, Mr. Umizake? Did you not join to protect the peace and prosperity of our establishment?”

Umizake looked up, taking his time to swallow down a mouthful of noodles.

“Not really. I asked my teacher for a list of clubs that did not run a booth. I picked yours because it was the least likely to be disbanded over lack of membership.”

With a shrug, he seized up the last of the noodles and slurped them down.

“Of course we aren't. We are a proud organization, decades strong.”

“Whatever. I'm only in this school to keep a watch on my fiancée. If this club ends up too much a hassle, I'll find something quieter.”

“Your attitude needs improving. You can't represent the student police with apathy. You need to exhibit a passion for justice and take an active role in ensuring a peaceful environment for the students.”

“Well I have several girls whom would have something to say about your valiant efforts of keeping things safe.”

Koike turned a sour look upon her.

“Ah yes, the case of Ms. Ishigami. I do hope you intend to be mindful of your duty, if you write on that matter.”

“Senior plans to write something about the missing girl case.”

“No doubt some incensed rant over the incompetence of the student police and the faculty to address the issue.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Would that not be the truth?”

“And what would that truth serve? Does it make anybody feel better?”

Now she was annoyed.

“I'm sorry, but reporting the truth is not always going to be a bunch of fluff articles that make everyone feel warm and fuzzy inside.”

“But is that the purpose of a school paper? To spread fear? To spread doubt? To spread mistrust?”

Meirowasa snorted.

“I wouldn’t say the student police have been perfect role models in making everyone feel good about coming to school.”

Koike waved a hand dismissively.

“That is a different matter that has little to do with this case.”

“Well I'm getting queasy hearing you talk up the student police as if they are some great service to the school. Spreading fear is the only notable thing your club does.”

“Our club. And our reputation has been tarnished by irresponsible journalism. Morioka seems to have some sick fascination with scaring students from coming to school and convincing them that the faculty and student police are only waiting for an excuse to kill them all.”

“He questioned the likelihood of all the crimes being monstrel related.”

“Questioned is a polite way of stating what he did. It was a disgrace to Lady Otonashi’s club. If that poor girl had a family, things would not have turned out so bad.”

Kurumu frowned at the second mention of this woman.

“Who is Lady Otonashi?”

“Former newspaper club president. She ran it for almost two years.”

Acknowledging Meirowasa’s remark, Koike bowed his head slightly.

“Lady Otonashi was a gifted individual. What she could not speak, she conveyed eloquently in prose. Her articles were always the most heartwarming. It is a pity that Fairy Tale does not provide support for orphans after their eighteenth birthday.”

“What? So the school kicked her out when she turned eighteen?”

“Oh, not at all. I’m sure the faculty would have loved for her to stay up to graduation. But being the kind soul she is, Lady Otonashi would not impose upon them any longer than necessary.”

“You talk highly of the woman whose club you destroyed.”

Koike paused, looking at Meirowasa.

“That was Lord Kuyo’s decision. My stance remains that it was irresponsible of Morioka to write such things. And I would advise the two of you to think cautiously about what you write in regards to Ms. Ishigami.”

She almost asked if this was a threat, but she realized it was not. In all this chatter she had never felt threatened by this guy.

“What would you have us say about Ms. Ishigami?”

“Nothing. I would say nothing. I’m aware the faculty has already told the girls involved to not mention whom did this.”

“That makes no sense.”

“You should write the article about the girls. I suppose you could mention some of the details of the event, but it would be best to simplify the matter. The culprit was caught. The girls are safe.”

“Why would you protect Ms. Ishigami?”

“We aren’t. Fairy Tale will have complete record of what happened. She will face consequences. Fatally if those girls in the hospital do not recover.”

Kurumu regarded the rest of her meal. She noticed Nazohashi had still not touched hers and that Meirowasa had stopped trying to eat. Deshi was managing fine while Umizake made no pretense on how bored he was now that he was finished with his meal.

“I realize it may seem confusing to talk about a kidnapping without giving details about the perpetrator. But what purpose does that knowledge serve? Treating criminals as nothing but a footnote is the best approach, and a footnote does not need to be identified.”

“I think I understand your reasoning.”

“Oh, come on, Tora.”

“Mr. Nagamushi did say not to talk to other students about Ms. Ishigami. It would be wrong for us to write an article that identified her as the one responsible. We should allow the faculty to handle any questions people might have over Ms. Ishigami’s sudden departure.”

Kurumu sighed, shaking her head.

“You really are a pushover.”

Koike chuckled, sitting back down cross legged. He snatched up the remnants of his lunch, placing it in his lap.

“You’re an odd one.”

“Huh?”

“You’re eyes are always averted. It bothers me talking with someone that doesn’t look me in the eye.”

She smirked glancing at Nazohashi.

“She’s a succubus.”

She frowned at Umizake feeling robbed of her chance to be coy.

“We shouldn’t talk of such things… but… is that so?”

“I’ve seen her a few times in the dorms visiting her boyfriend. She’s pretty good about not having all the guys fawning over her.”

Nazohashi eyed her suspiciously.

“You’re hanging out in the boys’ dorm?”

“With my boyfriend. He does live there.”

“Does Moka know?”

“Why would she need to know?”

Nazohashi pursed her lips.

“I suppose not.”

“What would you say about ditching that paper and joining the PSC?”

“What?!”

Koike looked serious.

“Can you get men to talk by looking at them?”

“Trying to have her force confessions out of your victims?”

Koike shot Meirowasa a sour look.

“It would be better than how things currently are. The seniors only know how to do bad cop, worse cop.”

Kurumu chuckled.

“So which cop are you?”

“Hmm… that’s a good question. Friendly cop?”

“Receptionist.”

He clucked his tongue at Deshi.

“That would be you, little one. I don’t know. Most wouldn’t talk to me so Lord Kuyo stopped having me participate in those. Said I lacked presence and wasn’t ready to do the things that had to be done. Since then I’ve been doing more or less what you would expect from a normal disciplinary committee member. You know, bark at folks to tidy up their uniforms and not be tardy for class. That sort of stuff.”

“Most our juniors this way. Only seniors deal with secret stuff.”

“Anyways, I’m serious about that offer. While three isn’t too bad a number, we really should have aimed for like five or six. At least enough to cover the number of seniors graduating.”

“I doubt your Lord Kuyo would accept my application.”

“Not on my recommendation, but he might make an exception if we persuaded Lady Hineri. I don’t know what strings she has attached, but she seems to have some pull on Lord Kuyo.”

Kurumu smiled softly, pretty sure that was the older sister of the girl Yukari had hurt earlier this week.

“I have a feeling that won’t work either.”

“A pity. We have so few women in our ranks. Lord Kuyo has this impression that women are weak and would not be taken seriously.”

Given her first impression of Kuyo, that was not a surprise. She could imagine most of the student police were nothing but big brutes that excelled at looking intimidating. Even Koike here could fill that role if he didn’t open his mouth.

Nazohashi bumped her shoulder with the back of her hand. The girl gestured with her utensil at Kurumu’s meal before poking into hers. Kurumu smiled, agreeing it was about time to continue her lunch.

* * *

The girls had all gathered in the southeast corner of the track field. Beyond the fence off to the left was the clubhouse and storeroom for the archery club. Every now and then she would hear the soft pluck of the bow, followed by the hiss of an arrow that would strike the small target at the end of the corded off range. She wondered if Mr. Nagamushi was over there trying to fill in the vacant advisor role, or if the club was being run by its seniors. She hoped Morisato’s friend was fine enough to return to practice.

Bringing her attention back to her current task, Kurumu wondered if Ms. Kibashiro would have her team practice when the interview was done, considering she had them all change into their gym clothes first. Of course the film club guys had not complained, reveling in the chance to take some pictures of a bunch of energetic girls in gym shorts.

Only half the club had shown up according to Yamabato. Naturally Uchiyama was here along with some pale grey haired kid named Tamura. Oyonagi, the sticky green haired kid, was a junior while the other two were the girls of the club. Sangi, the tall brunette, was the chatty junior that acted as the club’s president while the smaller girl, whom was barely taller than Kurumu, wandered aimlessly about the field taking random pictures of rocks and grass.

With the help of Ms. Kibashiro, Sangi was trying to gather the freshmen girls up for a decent picture. The plan was to take several since there were so many girls and they wanted to have a few decent shots where all of them had their eyes open, smiling and not being nuisances to their clubmates.

They had started a couple minutes late due to Nazohashi’s pressing need to fill Tsukune’s vacancy at the end of class. She had reluctantly helped, sending Yamabato ahead to let everyone know about the delay. Thankfully it had not taken too long as Arashimideru did not abandon her duties, pointedly ignoring Hiboshi’s obvious desire for the trio to leave early.

She honestly felt a little bad for Arashimideru. It had not crossed her mind, but with Moka leaving for the hospital, the quiet girl had been forced to handle today’s science lab by herself. While it had been an easy assignment even for one person, it was more about the attention the girl involuntarily drew from working by her lonesome at the front of the class.

Not much else had happened during the school day. She had chatted a little with Meirowasa during home ec, but the girl had still been irritable. Nothing special had happened in gym, though without Moka, she ended up pairing with Genzouyaki for daily stretches. The girl usually paired with Arashimideru, which had Kurumu thinking she might want to change partners for height reasons. While Moka was not that much taller than her, Genzouyaki was tiny compared to Arashimideru. She doubted Moka would complain, given she was already lab partners with the quiet, tall girl. Despite having an even number of girls with Moka's absence, they ended up stretching with Arashimideru.

When they had finally gotten to the track field, Ms. Kibashiro had already lined up the few girls that had yet to be interviewed. Nazohashi had graciously taken the juniors, allowing her to focus on the six remaining seniors. Despite Nazohashi having one more girl, it did look like she would finish first given her methodical, no nonsense approach to things.

Kurumu had started with Samurakami’s older sister Saeko, which was literally written as dumpling. The girl looked a lot like her sister, Atae, though she was notably thicker and curvier. It was Saeko’s opinion that Atae had only taken home economics with the hope of impressing a guy they both knew.

The next girl had been the bustiest of all the track girls. Hirota Terumi competed in the hurdles and high jump. Deathly curious, Kurumu had asked how the girl could even run as those breasts had to be about the same size as hers. With a laugh, the senior had lifted her shirt, explaining she taped them down and wore two sports bras. She admitted the second was probably overkill but it made for a snug fit.

Due to Uchiyama’s insistence, she had interviewed Yamanaka Otoha first. Despite the two being from different prefectures, Otoha had quickly befriended Hokori in their first year at Yokai and had been inseparable since. This was their first year sharing the same homeroom, and they were living together in one of the larger senior suites.

As for Uchiyama Hokori, she was a taller, feminine version of her brother. She felt this whole article thing was cool and hoped everyone remembered that the season would kick off at the start of the second term. Yokai had the honor of hosting two meets this year, and it would be really awesome if they had more student support than what they picked up her last two years.

Her last two interviews were with the Ohira cousins. Momoko had coarse black hair that she had pulled back into a short tail that did not even reach the nape of her neck. She spoke enthusiastically through the general questions, her green eyes flashing with mischief as she answered for her cousin.

Natsue had her silky white hair clipped up to keep it out of her eyes and over her ears. One of her pink eyes often wandered during the interview. Both her ears had a round black device latched about the lobe for hearing. She was conscious about answering questions, as she struggled to properly pronounce words and would often turn to her cousin using that hand language humans had invented for the deaf.

The two were distance runners and ran together for the long relays with the two freshmen girls, Matsudera and Uchikawa. Despite being the shortest of the group, Natsue was the fastest and their anchor. She also had the honor of competing in the track nationals, the only other being their fellow senior Kettou Akina, whom Kurumu had interviewed in gym a couple days ago.

The cousins had grown up together in a small village in the Tenkawa district of Nara. Momoko had come to Yokai to be with a guy from their junior high that she admired, though things had not worked out, what with him having a girlfriend by the time they got here and now he was graduated and engaged, though that was with some different woman he had met in college.

“I'm not sure I should add that to the article.”

“I suppose not. This is about me, not him. Well… we're both single.”

Kurumu laughed. More than half the track girls had brought this up. She held a hand up before the girl could start down that road.

“I've already been told I can't run my article like a dating service.”

“Aw… It's so hard to find a guy here. Can you at least hint that we're both okami? Please.”

Kurumu wondered why Yokai was so stubborn about keeping true forms secret. While she imagined guys would not be so picky about sleeping with whatever was willing, true forms were obviously important to the girls. Pretty much every girl that had brought up being single had dropped their true form.

She had been scolded a couple times about her true form, but there had not been any serious punishment. She kind of wanted to add this detail for the girls, but then there were guys like Inui whom would just lie about their true form. She imagined documenting someone's true form probably would be punished. She sighed.

“I don't think our paper can publish a person's true form. I can bring up your home town if that helps.”

“That sucks.”

Momoko turned to her cousin and gestured with her hands.

“You would like a boyfriend.”

Natsue blushed, holding her hands up.

“No, Momo. Peez. No.”

“She's so adorable. Her skin's so pale that it's obvious when she's flustered. The guys here have no balls. Not a single confession.”

Kurumu smiled.

“Have you been confessed to?”

“Me? I've been hit on but nothing that would pass as a confession.”

Momoko walked over to her cousin and started fussing with the girl's hair, much to Natsue's distress.

“But they won't even hit on her. I know she's a little broken but the parts that matter work fine.”

“Stop. Momo. Peez.”

“It must be nice to be so close.”

“Troublesome is more like it. Someone needs to take this darling off my hands before we graduate. She may be my sister, but I kind of want to do my own thing in college.”

“Sister? I thought you were cousins.”

Kurumu glanced at her notebook, confirming Natsue was a July baby while Momoko was born in October.

“Well, technically, but the whole village knows better. My aunt never married and everyone knows how much of a brother complex she has. She still doesn't get along with my mother.”

“Oh. Um… oh.”

That was definitely not something she should write about.

“That was a bit personal. Sorry, I've never been interviewed so I don't know what all I should be saying.”

“No, it's okay. We've already covered all the usual things so we could have stopped before the boyfriend talk.”

“I guess. Hey, Hokori. We were the last two, right?”

Uchiyama looked over from the group of seniors she had been chatting with. The girl grinned and jogged over to them. Prompted by her gesture, they walked over to shorten the distance.

Beyond the seniors, Ms. Kibashiro was directing the juniors to gather up for their picture. It was kind of amazing that she handled such a large group of girls all by herself. She did call in help from other teachers during events, but this was her normal routine when it came to practices. She spent as much time helping the film club as she did shooing the giggling freshmen off to start their daily stretches. She was serious about having practice right after the pictures were done.

“You done?”

“Yea, so now what?”

“They're just starting with the juniors, so it might be a few.”

Uchiyama did a few awkward gestures to Natsue, which the girl promptly returned with the speed of someone that had been doing this for years.

“I did not.”

Natsue glowered at her cousin, firing a few more gestures before crossing her arms about her chest. Momoko started signing back, but Uchiyama laughed and waved off the girl.

“Go on, you two. You have all weekend for that.”

Uchiyama grabbed her by the shoulder and steered her away from the cousins. Natsue had stalked off to the other seniors while her cousin tried to keep ahead to talk with her.

“So I guess Momo was talking about her weird family circumstances.”

“Yea.”

“I sometimes wonder which one that is harder on. Natsue refuses to talk about it, and gets angry whenever Momo brings it up.”

“I don't blame her. That's really not something to talk about.”

“They come from a small town. I guess everybody knew about the situation.”

Kurumu did not need to be told what it was like to be from a small town. Being different was never a good thing. But in a small town, it was much harder to hide your secrets.

Thinking of differences, Kurumu noted the odd girl still wandering about the track. The girl was now taking pictures of a hurdle. Her mint green hair occasionally brushed along the ground when she knelt down to take pictures of the ground. When standing, those long tresses fell almost to the back of her scrawny knees.

“Who is that?”

“That would be Chouda Sumire. She's from our class. I knew she was in the film club with my brother, so I mentioned this outing to her.”

“She's not taking pictures of the club.”

“I'm surprised she even came.”

Kurumu smiled, thinking this school was full of weird individuals.

“So when did you learn sign language?”

“I manage. When I was a first year, I shared homeroom with those two. I was fascinated with the concept, so I tried picking it up. All the seniors have picked some words up, but none of us could hold a conversation for long. It helps that Natsue's not completely deaf.”

Kurumu looked over the seniors. Kishi Chitose, the tallest of all the track girls, smiled as she made a couple gestures at the pouting Natsue. The golden haired Shiruba Yumie laughed and did some of her own before draping her arm over Momoko's shoulder and tousling the girl's hair. Even the timid Horie Fumiyo, whom had been difficult to interview, was talking without reservation while dragging her shadowy locks over her pale ear.

“It's amazing you are all so close.”

“Well… I guess it's like family. We've been together for over two years now. It would be weird if we still acted like complete strangers.”

Kurumu smiled, feeling a little envious. While she did have Tsukune and felt like she was sort of friends with Moka, there were times she did not feel all that close. It was her initiative that kept them together. If she stopped trying, would it all fall apart?

“Here.”

Kurumu sighed, grabbing the loose sheets of paper Nazohashi held out. She tucked the pages in with her notebook. Swinging her schoolbag to the front, she unzipped it and tucked the notebook away.

Morioka favored her with a smirk as he hovered in Nazohashi's shadow. She had been starting to wonder what Nazohashi was doing, but this explained it. Her mood even more soured, she zipped up her schoolbag.

“What are you here for? We have this covered.”

“I guess that's my cue to hit the road. I look forward to reading our article in your paper.”

“Bye.”

The girl offered a slight wave and jogged off to join the others. It looked like things were wrapping up with the juniors as Ms. Kibashiro was waving for the seniors to come over to the fence line.

“You know I could have handled the pictures.”

Kurumu glanced at the archery field beyond the fence, recalling how amicable Morioka was when it came to taking pictures of girls.

“The Film Club was looking for a club activity and offered to help.”

“You are becoming quite the busybody.”

“I'm just finishing the article we agreed upon.”

“As was I, though Tora informs me that we've been censored.”

“We're not censored. We were reminded to be considerate of the faculty.”

“The same faculty that allowed so many girls to vanish?”

Kurumu glared at him.

“The same faculty that saved your sorry ass.”

“Fair point, but that was mostly on you. No need to understate your role in how things turned out.”

“Oh, I'm sure you wrote all about my heroics in saving everyone.”

Morioka smiled.

“Anyways, I suppose I shall revise my article to be kinder. I was hoping the two of you could arrange something with the girls to have them come in to school tomorrow. You have their names, so you can ask your housemother for their rooms.”

“That is short notice, Senior. We would be lucky if we could even speak to them all tonight, let alone for all of them to be available tomorrow.”

“Sunday is fine too. It's the cover article, ladies. I have to make something that will grab the attention of our readers.”

“We just hand them out to the students as they show up to school. Mr. Koike was quite clear about that.”

“Koike? You two were talking with Koike? What happened to the little bird?”

“Ms. Deshi? She was with us.”

Kurumu sighed dramatically.

“I thought you were in on the latest news. The Student Police have a few new members so Koike was in charge of training Deshi and them.”

Morioka laughed, shaking his head.

“How on earth did that club attract more members?”

Kurumu grinned, sure the next tidbit would be of interest.

“Well… Meirowasa is a monstrel.”

Morioka flinched. She almost forgot to glance aside when he looked at her. Normally he was the one so cautious about it.

“Ms. Meirowasa is a monstrel?”

“A girl? Something's amiss with the student police. Did Koike say anything else?”

“Why don't you ask him yourself? He seems like a nice guy.”

“He is a nice guy. He's also an idiot and blindly loyal to the PSC. If he was told to, he would rough both of you up without asking a question.”

“Are you speaking from experience? The guy I spoke with did not feel like a killer. He was nothing like Saizou.”

“That is true. Mr. Komiya felt more dangerous.”

“You both clearly don't understand how evil works. You think the guy mopping the floors in the Yakuza's base has an impressive criminal record? A man like Kuyo only needs loyalty. Not everyone working under him has to be a killer.”

Nazohashi grinned.

“Mr. Koike mentioned a Lady Otonashi. He seemed quite infatuated with her.”

Morioka smiled wistfully.

“He would be. There were a lot of us taken in by her. Koike, Miyamoto, Kitajima… If it weren't for the club and her guidance, I'm sure I would have disappeared with Kaito.”

Kurumu frowned, somewhat recalling that as the name of the boy Meirowasa’s friend had been accused of killing.

“Kaito?”

“I believe I told both of you why I came to Yokai. That a teacher I took interest in pointed me this way.”

Kurumu recalled him telling her this, but did not think Tora had been around for that revelation. She supposed he might have told the girl at another time, since Tora nodded.

Thrusting his hands in his pockets, he pawed at the ground with his shoe.

“Well it's not like I came to this school by myself.”

“Um… but you said you were in a human junior high.”

Morioka glanced about. The seniors were far more disciplined while having their photo taken. As decided at the start of the shoot, Ms. Kibashiro was standing in the middle of her graduating class. Dressed in her own gym clothes, she looked like she was just another senior. Only the stopwatch hung about her neck helped her stand out.

“Supposedly a monstrel killed my friend during the first couple weeks of school. Which I call bullshit. Kaito was smart. Smarter than any guy I knew. The only dumb thing he did was keeping me company when I said I could handle being on my own here.”

Kurumu was about to call him out on his normal theatrics, but then she remembered her date with Ms. Nekonome. While more important things had been discussed, part of the reason Tsukune had been steered to this club was due to Morioka’s familiarity with humans. Tsukune was not the first human to set foot on Yokai’s campus.

“You never spoke of this.”

“And why would I? Since you both are such friends with the PSC, ask for access to the file on Hirose Kaito.”

“I don't doubt your sincerity, Senior.”

“I owe a lot to Otonashi. She pulled me into the club when all I wanted to do was fight. Otonashi kept me busy with getting pictures for the group's articles. She taught me there were other ways to fight for what you believed in. That words could work when fists could not.”

“So you wrote a scathing article that accused the PSC of killing your friend.”

“I wanted to. I really did. But I was just the cameraman. I didn't get to write an article until after she left our club at the end of the second term.”

He sighed, kicking at the dirt.

“It wasn't even that direct. I just published what I could find about the murders at Yokai over the past few years and noted the strange correlation of them all being chalked up to monstrel attacks. It was mostly a bunch of open ended questions to get people wondering why this was going on and what was going to be done about it. I had no idea Kuyo would take that as permission to sick his dogs on our juniors.”

“Juniors?”

“He left the seniors alone, since they would be graduating. But our second years… All of them quit before the end of the year, one even transferring schools, too scared to be associated with the club. Of course the rest of the freshmen abandoned ship.”

“For some reason I pictured this as a more violent confrontation.”

Morioka smirked.

“I doubt my former seniors would say what exactly happened. Losing Otonashi was a pretty hard blow for our club to begin with. While she wasn't the only girl, the other two were also seniors. Boys will be boys.”

Almost on cue, Kurumu tasted the desire. She rolled her eyes at him.

“Seriously?”

“Hmm?”

She frowned, recognizing her mistake. This was distant. It would have felt much stronger with him being this close. Absently she cupped her right breast, feeling an instant response. Suspiciously she turned away from Morioka while holding her tit. Her eyes searched out, trying to locate this strong sense of lust. It was very familiar.

“What are you doing?”

“Have you ever taken pictures of me while changing in the locker room?”

“I doubt Senior would be doing such things, Kurumu.”

It was not like she expected him to admit to it. The rooftop? Was that even possible? She tilted her head, unable to make anything out from this far. On a whim, she cupped both her tits and stuck out her tongue. Yea, there was someone out there.

“Now that's some inappropriate behavior.”

Yukari smirked as she walked into view on the other side of the fence. She crossed her arms about her chest, tilting her head. Another familiar girl sidled up next to the witch, licking her lips nervously. Her thick, yellow hair almost reached her shoulders, but the ends curled up to avoid collision.

“Ms. Sendou. How far along are you on your article?”

Yukari grinned, turning her attention away.

“Ms. Nazohashi. I finished it during computer class yesterday. I have it on my thumb drive if you want to look at it.”

With her eyes still on the distant rooftop, Kurumu wandered over to the fence. Sensing the loss of attention, she turned hers upon Yukari’s companion. She realized the girl was one of the first two that had gone missing, but she did not recall the names. The blond was timidly holding a piece of paper in her hands.

“What do you want, titzilla?”

“You’re in a feisty mood. Morioka. This is one of the girls you were hoping to interview tomorrow.”

The two had been walking over. Morioka flashed a grin at the blond.

“Indeed. That does save me some trouble. It’s Zukkutani, correct?”

The girl stepped forward and bowed politely. Her soft blue eyes glanced about nervously as she fidgeted with the sheet of paper.

“Yes. Zukkutani Kana from Class 1-7. I… here!”

She thrust the paper at the fence. Morioka chuckled, stepping up to the chain link barrier. He reached through a gap with two fingers and his thumb to seize the end of the sheet. He carefully drew the paper through the fence and turned it about in his hands.

“An application form?”

“Yes, well… we didn’t get a chance to join a club. Yochimaru and I. We had talked about joining a club that did comics or something like that.”

“There is a manga club. I don’t know if they make comics, but…”

“I can illustrate. Draw pictures. A paper needs illustrators, right? I’ll do whatever you want.”

Kurumu snorted.

“Careful saying that around this guy.”

“Sheesh. I was pouring my heart out less than five minutes ago and we’re back to me being someone that takes advantage of women? What exactly do I have to do around here? Have a near death experience saving someone?”

“It might help.”

“I’ll think about it. For now, I need you and your friend Yochimaru to show up for an interview tomorrow. She is okay, right? I mean, if you’re here I assume that both of you have been released from the hospital.”

“Yes. We were both released a little after three. She went home first but I heard this one talking about your newspaper club. I remembered seeing her in the abandoned storeroom.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Wait, you were in the hospital?”

Yukari turned her nose up.

“And is there a problem if I was?”

“No. I was curious how Tsukune was doing.”

“He’s fine. They released him at the same time as these girls. While Moka took him home, I escorted this respectful young lady here due to her insistence on joining our club.”

Kurumu felt her heart skip. She wanted to head home right away to see Tsukune and tell him how happy she was. But she heard Ms. Kibashiro call out to her before she could put her feelings into actions.

“Best take care of that, Kurumu. And I’ll need you here, bright and early in the computer room.”

Yukari snickered.

“You mean around lunch. Dummy here has remedial courses.”

Kurumu shot the brat an angry look, but the witch just laughed. Shaking her head, Kurumu doubled down on her envy of the senior girls track team. This newspaper club was the worst.

* * *

Sticking around with the film club after the shoot had proven advantageous. While the rest of her club had gone off to do whatever, she had tagged along with Yamabato and Sangi to their club room. The film club room was nothing more than a vacant storage room behind Mr. Katai’s science lab. They had divided the small space up to create a makeshift dark room, though they primarily used the computer. With all the cameras being digital, it was easy to filter through the many shots to select the ones Sangi thought were best suited for a newspaper article.

After being handed some memory stick that had all the important pictures on it, she had talked Yamabato into rallying everyone up for a dinner. The boy had never figured out why Tsukune was absent, so she simply passed it off as him being too depressed for school and needing friends to cheer him up. Thankfully Yamabato did not press for any details over why Tsukune might be depressed.

It had been fun. Tanboshi was his usual self and they even managed to get Umizake involved. Takoshine was annoying as ever, but Kinusawa would reliably break up those monologues over the greatness of Moka. All told, Tsukune had come across as very relaxed and grateful to the guys for worrying about his absence from school.

Near the end of the meal she had informed him about coming over for laundry as they had not done that in a while. He might have declined if Yamabato had not razzed him about the joys of having a girlfriend. Satisfied with his reluctant agreement, she had hurried home to collect her things.

And now here she was lounging against a washing machine, braless with one of his loose tee shirts hanging to her thighs. If not for the later walk home, she would have teased him by only wearing this, though it was not like that small piece of cloth would offer much resistance if he really wanted more.

He had become reticent when they were alone. She could feel the familiar desire from him, steady and pleasant. It had not spiked since she had made her attire changes back in his room. She wondered if this meant he was getting used to her body, which she felt was a good thing. She still wished he would be more affectionate, even if they should not take things too far.

He was probably tired, considering he was already dressed for bed. It was after nine and he had spent most the day in the hospital. She had no idea what it was like to be petrified, so he might simply need more recovery time.

“What’s up?”

“Hmm?”

“You still worn out from the day?”

“Not really.”

She sighed.

“Everything okay with Moka?”

There was quite a long pause. Tsukune stood across the small room, holding his elbow as the other hand hung limply against his black sleep pant.

“Yea.”

“You know her birthday is coming up. We should do something for her.”

He managed a smile.

“When is that again?”

“Tuesday. Yukari has her own place, so I was thinking we could do a little party of sorts over there. If it involves Moka, I’m sure the brat will be on board for this. Maybe even bake her a cake.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“It will be fun. I know Moka is still upset about the news that she won’t get to see her family. And after all this garbage with Inui and Ishigami, she really needs a good birthday.”

“Yea.”

This lack of enthusiasm was bothersome. Kurumu pushed off the washer and stalked over to him. Before he even realized he should react, she pushed her hands on his chest.

“Back up.”

“Huh?”

“Back up.”

He complied, backing up against the wall. Once she had him there, she turned about and leaned her back into him. Reaching over, she grabbed one of his hands and moved it to her belly. He moved his other hand up out of reach before she could seize it.

“Kurumu, we really shouldn’t.”

“Yes, beware my super aggressive sexual attack.”

She patted her belly with his hand.

“You are now helpless and unable to resist.”

“You’re impossible.”

“I think you meant irresistible. Now touch my boobies.”

He sighed heavily, placing his free hand on her shoulder. She smiled, closing her eyes and leaning harder against him. She could feel his body starting to react to her proximity.

“I kissed Moka.”

She had settled in too much to manage a strong reaction to his words. She had known something was up, and this would explain his distant behavior. Her heart was twisting, but the rest of her remained lax.

“I guess she can do that. You deserve a kiss for what you did with Ms. Ishigami. Consider it a kiss on my behalf, since I’m not allowed to.”

It hurt. She did not pull away, because his hands were on her, and that was nice. But it still hurt.

“Kurumu.”

“She did have a shitty first kiss. You kissed her proper, right? No pansy brushing of the lips.”

“Well… Yukari kind of walked in and broke things up.”

Kurumu managed a smile. She hated this feeling. She could not will herself to move from him because this was where she wanted to be. He could have confessed to making love with Moka and she knew it would be the same. She was hopelessly his.

“That won’t do at all. A kiss from me has to have a little tongue touching and some whimpering. Sounds like I need to properly instruct Moka.”

The arousal her comment instigated sickened her.

“You’re not upset?”

Yes. But there was nothing she could do about it.

“My feelings for you aren’t going to change because of a simple kiss, Tsukune. How shallow do you think my love is?”

Pathetic was the proper word. It hurt so much.

“Now I just feel worse.”

You should. She sighed, grabbing the hand on her shoulder and bringing it down to join the other on her belly.

“You realize Yukari is still spying on Moka through her rosary.”

“Yea.”

“She probably won’t agree with having you over for that birthday party.”

“But it’s Moka’s birthday. I have to do something for her.”

“The club meeting. If we let Morioka know, I’m sure he will happily let us do something for Moka instead of whatever club things he has in mind.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Kurumu smiled, squeezing his hands. What could she really do? Her heart hurt, but she could feel the desire within him. She knew if she started rubbing her rump against him, his body would quickly respond. Should she push the issue?

Lifting her hand from his, she gingerly touched her lips.

“I hope I can at least have your third kiss.”

“Third?”

“Mhm. I wonder if that’s why she kissed you. I can’t pretend your first kiss was that much better than hers.”

“What are you talking about?”

She smiled, aware that he had not been in a condition to remember such things. Then again, he did have a cousin that acted like a sister. Perhaps she was being presumptuous.

“You didn’t kiss a girl before coming to Yokai?”

He tensed up.

“No. I barely even talked with girls, let alone had an excuse to kiss one.”

She grinned.

“Then third it is.”

“What do you mean third? Kurumu… that was my first.”

The ache in her heart was still there, but she was feeling better. With a smirk, she brought her hands back to his and held them firmly.

“Nope. Your first was taken by Yukari.”

“What?!”

“Yea, said she would break you from the evil Tora’s spell. She was sucking your lips before we knew what she intended.”

“But that doesn’t count! I don’t remember that!”

It was a good thing she had a strong hold on his hands. He surely would have pulled free otherwise.

“You know… Yukari has been spending quite a bit of time with you recently. And you did see her panties.”

“But you’re the one that took those off!”

“Perhaps she broke the two of you up because she wants you for herself.”

She honestly did not think that, but it made her feel better to tease him. He sighed, relaxing up against the wall.

“I already have my hands full.”

“Not really.”

She smiled, grabbing his hands and dragging them up the swell of her bosom. He stiffened, but did not pull away even after she loosened her grip. She could feel him harden as his hands timidly squeezed her.

“Now you do.”

He sighed, relaxing his hands.

“You’re making this hard.”

“I’m making something hard.”

He chuckled like one that has lost the will to resist.

“Did that brat really kiss me?”

“Mhm. You can even ask Moka.”

“I’d rather not.”

She smiled.

“Tsukune… I love you.”

“So you’ve said. Multiple times.”

And she would keep on saying it, with the hope that one day he would say it back.


	27. Dirty Pictures

“Ms. Kurono. Please read the next phrase.”

Kurumu sighed as she stood up.

“A ratsu mai name atsu tee tapu u tee paperu.”

“Very good. Mr. Burumoto, the next phrase.”

Kurumu slumped back in her chair, unsure why they were bothering with this. It was not like they would be tested on her ability to speak this gibberish. She only needed to memorize what would be on the test.

Her thoughts kept drifting back to the fact that Tsukune had kissed Moka. She hoped this was one of those spur of the moment things that happened because Moka was so happy for him to wake up. It did seem like something Moka would do. A kiss with no real drive to follow up with more serious things.

Tsukune was the real issue. He was aware that the Rite of Ascension was not required for him to be with Moka and had felt this innocent kiss warranted a confession. She was struggling with her feelings as to whether or not his motives were driven by guilt or an eagerness to be rid of her.

At least he had a new appreciation for her breasts. After much encouragement and assuring they would not be caught, he had caved in to his teenage boy desires. It was a good thing the washers had announced their completion, as she had started to want other parts caressed and to be kissed passionately. They had wisely moved things to Yamabato’s room.

She had indulged in herself twice since then. Despite having calmed down from the laundry room antics, she had forced one before turning in. Her body had been more than willing to pick up where she had left off. Assaulted in the night by steamy dreams of all the things she could be doing with Tsukune, she had enjoyed another round upon waking this morning.

Though she had not caught the trio on the way to the dining hall, they had joined up with her during breakfast. Unari was notably clingy with Genzouyaki while Kakeru was her usual quiet self. They had talked a little about her disappearance and it was difficult to tell if Genzouyaki remembered any of it. While the girls had all been told to keep quiet about Ms. Ishigami, Genzouyaki was genuinely acting like she had fallen asleep somewhere. Kurumu had half a mind to retract her invitation to the girl for Morioka’s event.

Nerume.

Kurumu regarded the girl, reliably sleeping even in their remedial classes. She felt compelled to start thinking more personally about these girls if she wanted to be a real friend. It had been easy to cross that bridge with Tsukune, but even Moka had taken a bit of time. Yukari was an exception as she could not think of that brat as Sendou.

Nazohashi. Despite knowing that girl first, Kurumu still waffled from first to last name. She wanted to blame Tora’s standoffish nature, but the class rep had been addressing her by her first name as of late. Kurumu hoped a mental note to correct herself every time would be enough.

She sighed as she returned her wandering thoughts to the current subject matter. This course only required memorizing vocabulary. They were not even covering the other subject she failed in, though she supposed Ms. Kagome’s special lessons might help with that. She hoped that woman would not give her a hard time for skipping out these past couple days.

On the bright side, they would be taking a mock test two weeks from now to determine if they needed to keep attending these remedial classes to midterms. While she probably would not be doing anything that special before lunch on a Saturday, anything was better than this.

She wished they served lunch after this three hour torture session. She was planning to poke her head in the computer room after class to see if the rest of the club was working. If they were… she would not feel right running back to Kurai for food. Her article was probably the largest and was nothing but a jumble of random notes. She also had that memory stick thing Yamabato had given her with all the pictures for the track team. While she supposed anyone could write her article with all that material, she doubted Morioka would let her slide on that.

Besides, it was not like she had anything better to do.

There was that picnic with Mr. Nagamushi and Ms. Sasayaki. She had promised to accompany Moka, so that would solve the lunch issue and help Moka. Did she really want to help this girl whom was making moves on Tsukune behind her back? She was hungry.

“That should be all for class today. Thank you for your attention and hard work. I know you all shall succeed.”

Kurumu managed a smile as she grabbed up her schoolbag hanging on its rest. Slinging the strap over her head, she wandered over to the slumbering Genz… Nerume. Reaching down, she shook the girl’s shoulder.

“Nerume.”

The small girl groaned. Kurumu slipped her hand down and hooked Nerume by the armpit. She yanked up, causing the girl to twitch and pull away. Nerume glanced about wide eyed, noting her presence. Nerume started to smile but it turned into a luxurious yawn.

“Do you sleep in your dorm room?”

The girl nodded, finally ending her yawn. She stowed her pad and pencil haphazardly into her hanging bag. Closing it up, she gripped it by the handles as she lifted out of her desk.

“Did you want to run to lunch first, or take care of the thing with my Senior? I don’t have a preference.”

“If it doesn’t take long, they’ll still be serving lunch.”

This was true. Lunch would be served until one. There was no reason for his interview to take more than an hour. Grabbing the girl by the sleeve of her school jacket, Kurumu led the girl out into the hallway slightly ahead of the rest of her class.

“So Nerume. You guys do anything over the weekend?”

“You mean with Chisa and Satsuki?”

They had to step wide to avoid a couple students slipping out the back door of Ms. Sunao’s class. She noted one of them was the Miki guy that Meirowasa had grown up with.

“Yea. Have you been to the town yet?”

“We were going to do some things last weekend, but well…”

“You did have Saturday.”

“Chisa has practice after lunch.”

Unari stepped out of the front door of Sunao’s classroom. She sighed dramatically as she took a couple steps to join them.

“It’s finally over.”

Beyond the grumpy girl, Kakeru strode out of her class a little ahead of the twin mermaid girls. Kurumu managed a smile for Tarako, since the girl instantly brightened up at the sight of her.

“Ms. Kurono!”

She honestly should not have been surprised that those two were here. She had forgotten about their low scores. She managed a halfhearted wave as the eager twin hurried over with Kakeru in her wake. The other twin remained by the open door, shaking her head.

“Do you think you could stop by the pool after our thing with your club?”

She smiled, supposing Nazohashi had mentioned the meeting to the twins at some point last night. She had not seen the twins at breakfast, but she could not recall ever seeing them eat. They were kind of scrawny, despite being taller than Unari.

“You are persistent.”

Kurumu chuckled, reaching over to push back the girl’s dark green locks that covered her right eye. The other twin wore her bangs in the opposite fashion.

“Is that a yes?”

“We’ll talk about that after the club interview.”

“Okay.”

The girl grinned, drawing away so that her bangs flopped back in place. She made a quick wave and skipped over to her twin. Haraka slugged her sister in the shoulder, causing the bright twin to yelp in pain.

“Hey!”

Without a word, the angry twin stalked off down the long hall. Rubbing her shoulder, Tarako hurried after her. It was not a long walk before the twins veered off to the left down the next hall.

“Heh, those two are a trip. So when will your paper be finished?”

Kurumu shrugged as she started after the twins. They had talked over some of these things at breakfast, with Kakeru confirming that the track article was all but finished. But the conversation had wandered off.

“I don’t know. I think we still need the faculty or the student council to approve our paper before we hand them out.”

She wondered if it could be as early as Moka’s birthday. That would be nice, but it might be better to put it off to Wednesday. That way they could give Moka the first paper without the fuss of handing out a whole bunch more soon afterwards. It would be a great gift.

“Do you have any big plans for your next paper?”

“Not that I’m aware of. We’re scrambling to get this one done as is. We haven’t brought up thoughts on what we should be writing about next.”

“Have you tried reading some of your old papers in the library? You could find some ideas there.”

She shrugged, aware that Yukari had done that. They turned down the main hallway, spying the twins all the way by the winding staircase. The two kept walking, clearly not having forgotten about their appointment.

“I kind of like what I’m doing now. Yea, handling forty some odd girls was a bit rough, but we managed to wrap that up in a week. With more time, I could probably handle two or three clubs.”

“But that would be boring. Why not do something more interesting like makeup techniques or relationship advice?”

“I don’t use makeup and I’ve only had two boyfriends.”

“I thought as a succubus…”

“Well that would also be a problem.”

Kurumu smirked, recalling some of the things Shindou had mentioned.

“Because I can charm a guy, I don’t think people could take my relationship advice seriously.”

“You know you’re releasing a track article months before they even compete. People will probably forget about it by the time second term starts.”

“Yea, but we can always write up a brief reminder. And if we had waited for the new term, they would have been too busy for us to cram all those interviews in. It’s not like I plan to be here over summer break.”

“What should we do over summer break?”

“Lake Tazawa is always fun and close to home.”

“Do you have a lot of practice over summer break?”

“That’s a long way out. I don’t really know what Coach has planned.”

“It’d be cool if you could come too. I’m sure Mom and Dad would like seeing you again.”

Kurumu smiled as they walked by the large foyer. She had no idea what she would do for summer break. Obviously she would go home and turn sixteen. After that… well… she hoped she could find an excuse to visit Tsukune. She knew he lived in the city of Yamagata. Maybe she could even swing by the Lake they were talking about. She knew it was in Akita which was not that much further north of Yamagata.

Surprisingly Nerume was the same race as Kakeru. While many of them were tall like their senior Kishi, there were also little ones like their junior Miyake Yuniko. Kakeru had mentioned there being a slight difference in breeds, but only a few families worried over the purity of that. As long as it was another form of Kirin, most parents would bless the union.

She had yet to meet the Goto girl that had accompanied Kakeru to school. Because Unari had a height complex, Kakeru usually ate with Goto instead. This was why Nerume’s disappearance had devastated Unari, as she had not tried to make friends with anyone else.

While fishing for ideas on what she should do for Moka’s birthday, they had determined that Unari was the oldest of them, having a June birthday after Tsukune’s. Nerume was less than a couple weeks older than Kurumu while Kakeru’s birthday was near the start of October.

The girls were still talking about summer break plans when they started up the elective hallway. The computer room was on the other side of the bathrooms next to the infirmary. As far as she knew, most of the classrooms on the left of this hallway were vacant and would only be used if Yokai felt like adding a thirteenth class to one of the grades.

“You got quiet.”

Kurumu smiled at Nerume.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to.”

“We were talking about drinking and I was curious if you ever have.”

“Well… there was this one time in Junior High.”

“How was it? Like dizzy, sick, fun?”

Kurumu shrugged. She did not remember the experience very well. That had happened at the Christmas party before Takada had broken up with her back in January. It really was not that long ago, but it felt like forever.

“I think it was fun, but scary. Like how losing control is both.”

That felt about right. She had enjoyed herself, from what she could remember. But waking up on the floor with Takada protectively watching over her had been frightening. While she had confirmed her virginity was intact, she had no idea what all might have happened during the black out.

“We should try it.”

“Nobody is going to sell us booze.”

Kurumu smirked, aware of an easy way to get liquor.

“Well… there’s Sakamori.”

“Sakamori?”

“She’s a girl in my home ec class. She can turn water into sake.”

Nerume and Unari shared a glance.

“That’s possible?”

“For her it is.”

“When should we do this?”

“If rumors are true, we’d have to do it on a Saturday night. Can’t do it on a day we need to be up early the next morning.”

“Like tonight?”

Nerume laughed, shaking her head.

“I don’t think tonight. Maybe next week.”

Unari nodded.

“Sounds okay. Do you know where this girl lives, Kurumu?”

Kurumu giggled, amused that these girls were seriously planning this.

“I guess I could ask on Monday.”

Nerume gestured to Kakeru.

“We should do it in your room. You have no upstairs neighbors to disturb and you’re near the bathroom.”

“But Ms. Kibashiro would be upset if I did something like this.”

Nerume giggled.

“That’s why we are doing it on a Saturday night. Nobody will know.”

That was debatable. Sakamori was a blabbermouth and would quickly let Shindou know about this escapade. She supposed they could invite the pesky girl.

“It might be best if Kakeru didn’t get involved.”

“No, we should all do this together.”

“You don’t know Sakamori. She’ll talk about it, which means Ms. Kibashiro would find out.”

Nerume pouted.

“That’s no fun. I wanted to see her wasted.”

Unari shook her head.

“I don’t want to spend a night with a drunk tall girl that can’t keep her hands to herself.”

Kurumu smiled, aware that Kakeru often made halfhearted gestures in Unari’s direction. She had not seen the girl ever touch Unari, but it was apparent the tall girl wanted to.

“Sakamori is pretty touchy as is. But yea… Taijin is her lab partner and is by us all the time in home ec.”

Unari scowled.

“If you’re worried about Taijin, then we can’t use my room. Shindou lives right next to me and Taijin is across the hall.”

Nerume shrugged.

“Maybe we should just invite them. We can even add Akashiya to the list.”

The thought of Moka drunk was amusing. She noted they had walked by the bathrooms and were at the back door to the computer room.

“I’ll think about it. Are you two going to hang out and wait for Nerume?”

“Eh, why not? She doesn’t have anything useful to tell him. It wouldn’t surprise me if she had slept through the whole… whatever it was that happened.”

Kurumu giggled, gesturing for Nerume to head on in.

“Okay, well… I shall try to have him do hers first.”

The computer room was set up a little differently than the normal classrooms. There were nine workstations with each having three computers. At the front of the class, three more workstations were setup, but none had computers. One was for the teacher, while the other two allowed for students with laptops to have a workspace. Yukari was currently occupying the one nearest the window with Tsukune hovering over her shoulder.

Morioka had set himself up at the teacher’s spot. It had a convenient chair facing the rest of the class, which he lounged expertly within. He was sipping from a mug while making notes on the pad of paper in front of him. The first girl Ms. Hitori had flown off with was seated across from him.

Nazohashi was working on a computer at the station behind Yukari. She was conversing with Moka, while fiddling with a word processor. She was probably finishing up her article.

Kurumu was a little curious which station Nazohashi was sharing with Yamabato and that Izanai fellow. Her current location did not seem likely, but she also had a hard time believing the class rep would have picked one of the back corners. Then again, it was not like being in the front had any advantages with the class being set up like this.

The twins were lounging about the other empty workstation, Tarako exchanging words with the Zukkutani girl from last night. Having five of the eight girls did seem a pretty good turnout, given the short notice.

Morioka glanced up, grinning at her approach.

“I see you have finally graced us with your presence.”

“I see you’re trying to look important.”

“Moka’s telling me that the two of you plan to skip out and have some family picnic with Mr. Nagamushi.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“That was the plan.”

“And how far along are you on your article?”

“How far along are you on yours?”

He sighed gesturing to the black haired girl across from him.

“I think I’m good with her story.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be of much more help, but we were told not to say…”

“You’re fine, hon, really. I wasn’t asking for those details anyways.”

“And what are you asking for?”

“Hopes… dreams… background. Thinking I would make it into a light article about their plans moving forward and whatnot.”

The girl laughed nervously.

“It feels weird not to say anything about her.”

Morioka sighed, but flashed a grin.

“Well if you ever need someone to talk to off the record, you know where to find me.”

The girl smiled, bowing slightly before getting up from her chair. Kurumu shook her head, aware how shameless that offer had been.

“You’re terrible.”

“The worst.”

She gestured to the seat, glancing at Nerume.

“Care if you do her next? She has friends waiting on her.”

“Not at all.”

He also gestured to the chair which prompted the small Nerume to plop her tiny butt into the thin cushioned seat. He glanced over at the twins, noting both were still occupied in conversation.

“Though I imagine that twin might get upset.”

Kurumu shrugged, noting some movement behind her. Ms. Nekonome was wandering into the classroom along with a golden haired girl. She was pretty sure that was Morisato’s friend from the archery class.

“Haraka is always like that. Doubt anything you do will change it.”

“If you are going to be leaving soon, make sure to give your club stuff to Tora or Yukari. This way your article can at least be somewhat started when you get back.”

“I imagine Mr. Nagamushi will stop in soon for us. He would be done with his remedial lessons.”

“Ms. Nekonome. What brings you to this wolf’s den?”

Kurumu smiled as she wandered over to Yukari's station. Slipping free of her bag, she set it down next to the open bag beside the laptop. She opened up her own, pulling the notebook and memory stick out.

“I was wondering if you kids would like some snacks and drinks. Ms. Kurono mentioned you might be working through lunch.”

She could already feel his attention on her. Tsukune was probably thinking about last night as his desire had that similar simmer.

“Hey runt, I'm leaving you this stuff.”

Yukari rolled her eyes. She gestured at the screen.

“I'm busy now. Shouldn't you be doing something?”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at the girl, whom promptly returned her attention back to the screen.

“Morning, Tsukune.”

“Morning, Kurumu.”

Kurumu slipped around Yukari, shaking her head. She wagged two fingers as she grabbed him with her other hand by the waist.

“That's no proper way to greet your girlfriend.”

“Kurumu!”

Ignoring Moka's protest, she stepped the rest of the way in to embrace Tsukune. As usual, he stiffened, but his hands were not pushing her away. One lingered on her shoulder while the other tentatively touched her head. She sighed, pressing her cheek firmly on his chest.

Moka abandoned Nazohashi, quickly walking up behind Tsukune. The boy staggered forward into Kurumu as the vampire pressed against his back. Kurumu leaned her head back, narrowly avoiding the hand that took her place on Tsukune's chest.

“Oh?”

Kurumu pressed her tits against Tsukune's torso. She smirked.

“I think you lose this competition, Moka.”

“Would the three of you at least try to do something? I want to be done with this paper today.”

“Well spoken, Tora. How is the layout coming along?”

Kurumu sighed, relinquishing her hold.

“Morning, Tora.”

She rolled her eyes at the vampire, whom still was awkwardly hugging a trembling Tsukune. The vampire's eyes were closed and her cheeks flush, obviously embarrassed to do this.

“And Moka.”

“It's hard to say with so much empty space. We only have two of our articles completed.”

“Mine would be done if you appreciated my genius.”

“I said entertaining. Your article sounded like someone composing a thesis for their doctorate.”

“It was the culmination of your senior's work.”

“That wall of text would have anyone turning the page. I'm going with you when you speak with it again. We at least need pictures.”

“Her. And I would rather go with Tsukune. We can borrow that camera of yours.”

“He can come along, but I have to do the pictures. Come on. The only photos I've contributed to this paper are the profiles I'm taking of these girls today. As a cameraman, my pride is wounded.”

“Ugh… we're having photos taken?”

Tarako grinned, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder.

“It will be fun.”

“Oh sure. Just like our nude portraits were fun.”

Ms. Nekonome rested a hand on Kurumu's shoulder. She handed over an envelope.

“I also found this on my desk in the lounge. It's addressed to you.”

Kurumu frowned at the letter as she turned it over. On the back was a little note declaring her someone's beloved and a heart sticker held the flap in place. She sighed, wondering if she might have accidentally charmed some poor guy this week in the hallways. While this was the first of this year, she had received dozens of these things in Junior High.

Wandering back over to her bag, she peeled back the sticker and pulled a folded note out. There were other things still in the letter, but she paid them no mind as she unfolded the scrap.

If you don't want these to be circulated, come alone to the monster tree in the courtyard by noon. I even have a wonderful one you gave me with Akashiya.

Nagare

“What?”

She pushed the scrap back in the letter, glimpsing the first photograph. Her heart twisted and her body froze. It was a picture of her, face flush with a lax smile. She was seated, leaning against a sofa, one hand gripping a green bottle. Her left leg was drawn up, her skirt flopped back to display her trimmed curls in all their glory.

When? Her lower lip trembled. No, she knew when.

“Kurumu?”

She quickly stuffed the letter into her open bag. She had to find this Nagare. The name was familiar. He must be that boy Yamabato had mentioned that had gone to school with her. She would have forgotten about that kid entirely if Yamabato had not casually mentioned the boy's absence during yesterday's photo shoot.

Moka!

No, no, no, no, no!

Film club. She had felt the familiar presence of her gym stalker on the roof yesterday. Yamabato had said the guy could take excellent shots from the roof of the birds in the woods.

No, no, no!

Her eyes began to water. What had she done?! No!

She turned sharply and headed for the door.

“Kurumu, wait!”

A vice grip seized her left hand. She whirled about, noting that Mr. Nagamushi was stepping through the back door. The picnic. Oh, god. She could not meet the gaze of the vampire that held her captive.

“What's wrong?”

“I… I have something I need to do.”

“But what about my article? You promised you'd help with that.”

And what about kissing Tsukune?

“I can't now.”

“But why?”

What could she possibly say? She was angry at everything right now, but mostly herself.

“It's not like you helped me with mine.”

Moka let her hand go. She did not wait for a response. She took off running through the front door, hoping none would follow. She hurried down the hallway, turning right at the end. Like her hallway across the courtyard, there was a stair leading down. She took them two at a time, quickly arriving on the first floor hall.

She clutched her chest, feeling her heart beat madly. She hoped time was too pressing for Moka to come after her, what with Mr. Nagamushi being there. The rest were a harder read. How important was she compared to their obligations? Gah, she had played that so horribly. One of them was bound to come down those stairs any moment now.

Frightened at what the consequences might be for failing to come alone, she ducked through the bathroom opening on her right. Pressing her back to the wall, she glanced at the watch on her wrist. She should give them five… no ten minutes. She did have until noon.

After three minutes of silence, her heart began to sink. Was everyone really that busy? She had left all her article materials with Yukari and it looked like Morioka would have his hands full with all those girls. Nazohashi did not seem the sort to chase her down.

Tsukune? Not even Tsukune?

When she thought about it… he probably offered to take her place at the picnic. Yea… that's what he would have done. Nobody was coming for her.

Nobody.

Sensing no reason to wait the full ten, she slinked out of the bathroom and walked sullenly past the library. After a short walk, the hall opened up on the left with a long row of glass doors that overlooked the courtyard. She shuffled over to the nearest door and walked out into the fresh air.

The monster tree was this large, twisted thing that dominated the center of the courtyard. It was a tree the founder had planted here before the Yokai Academy had been established. It looked far more ancient than the brief years this place had been a school, making her wonder how old the Headmaster was.

She had to steel herself as she approached the base of the tree. She could not show weakness. She would charm this guy and have him hand over all his copies of those dirty pictures, especially the one with Moka. Then, for good measure, she would have him resign from the school. She was done with her past. It was time for this guy to move on.

“Nagare! I'm here!”

She felt him above her. A blond haired kid with long bangs that covered his eyes leered down at her with a twisted grin. He was perched on a twisted branch that stretched out from the trunk above a metal ring that was anchored into the tree. A larger ring looped through this post, serving as a pass through for the sacred chain that wrapped about the tree to contain its wild, demonic energies.

“I'm so pleased we are still on a first name basis, my beloved Kurumu.”

She scowled, realizing his bangs were too long to get a clean look at his eyes. His hands were clutching a camera that was hung about his neck on a black strap. His fingers absently touched buttons that caused the lens to stretch out a bit before promptly retracting. He started to giggle.

“I want you to destroy those pictures.”

She reached for them, but remembered she had stuffed the letter in her school bag. For a moment she worried, but there was no reason for anyone to dig through her stuff. She had set all her article research out for Yukari.

“Now why would I do that?”

The boy hopped out of the tree, landing heavily on his tan shoes. His white shirt remained tucked in his khakis as he slowly righted himself. His hands did not move from their loving hold on his camera.

“Those are precious memories we shared together.”

Kano Nagare. She had never been that good with names, but she remembered the face. He had been one of the loners she had charmed before she had started dating Takada. She had kept him around because he always had a strong desire for her, though the camera was new. He must have gotten that shortly before the Christmas debacle. She did remember he had a December birthday. Letting him attend the party had been her late birthday gift to him.

His bangs had not always been that long, but it had been over four months since they had last spoken. Unlike the other boys that she had to charm away in the last term of Junior High, Nagare had stopped attending school the last term due to some illness. She had not cared enough to ask for the details.

This new feeling wafting from him was deeper, stronger. Her gym stalker. He had never been interested in the other girls. It had always been for her. Those pictures of her must have changed him. Pictures that should have never been taken. One night… she had been careless.

“You will destroy those photos.”

He lifted his head, meeting her gaze with hazel eyes that burned with madness.

“I don't think I will, Kurumu. I want more. More. Every inch, every crevasse. I want all of you.”

She staggered back, confused. She stared him in the eyes, demanding him to destroy it. But her heart wavered. How could she convince him that he wanted to do it? What reason could she create? That he had something better? What could be better than her? She had to do something. He was coming so close.

“It was a date!”

His head tilted to the side.

“A date.”

“Yes, I promised you a date, didn't I?”

“Yes, you did.”

She managed a smile.

“But first, you have to destroy all those nasty pictures of me. You won't need them anymore. You have me now, right?”

“All of them?”

“All of them.”

He grinned as he fixed his eyes on her.

“I can't, my beloved. I don't have all of them.”

“What?”

“You think I brought the originals from home! Of course not!”

She scowled, grabbing him by the scruff of his shirt.

“You will get all of these photos and destroy every last one of them. Do you understand?”

He laughed, boldly staring her in the eyes.

“Of course, my love. I will do whatever you say!”

He was charmed, right? Because he loved her so much, he would do whatever she asked of him. Because he loved her so much, he would not defy her.

“Anything you desire.”

He let go of his camera, tenderly stroking her cheek with a sweaty hand.

“But first, we must have our date. You promised.”

* * *

She had never experienced such erratic behavior from a charmed boy. The timid Nagare she had known only showered her with compliments. He would have never touched her without her wanting him to. She would swear she was thinking pure thoughts and he would still unexpectedly caress her.

She had thought they would simply go to Mononoke and goof off a bit, like a normal couple might. Eat lunch together, watch a movie, maybe sing some karaoke and call it an afternoon. If he let on that he had any of those perverted pictures on campus, she would watch him destroy them in return for a kiss. It should have been simple.

But Nagare had declined on the basis of not having money for such things. Instead he had convinced her to accompany him to Kurai, where they ate lunch together. Afraid she would be seen, she tried to dissuade him. But this was his date. He wanted to eat lunch with her.

It was embarrassing. Genzouyaki’s friends had not finished their lunch and had pointedly came over to share some words. She had to confess that Nagare was an old friend from Junior High and that they were hanging out. She even mentioned he was part of the film club that had helped her with the track team. Kakeru did not seem aware that the boy had been absent from the event.

Under the ruse of destroying the pictures, he convinced her to come to his dorm room. Having the worst of luck, Yamabato had noticed them passing by and had ran up the stairs to catch them. It was mostly harmless banter with the two boys discussing film club matters and Nagare confirming that he was from her Junior High. But then Yamabato asked about her article and she had to fumble for excuses why she was spending time with Nagare instead.

There was no hope that Tsukune would not hear about this.

When she finally got to Nagare’s room on the seventh floor, he did everything she asked of him. He had candles. He burned all the photos he had collected since the start of the school year. He deleted all the files off the digital camera he was holding, as well as the two spares he had mentioned in his stupor. She was thoroughly convinced that all traces of her disgraceful past on campus were destroyed.

Moka would never know about that picture.

Certain that she had done all she could, she tried to excuse herself with reasons of needing to complete her article and that he would understand. Somehow… he refused. She had yet to fulfill her obligation. To him, they had not had their date. She even tried to reschedule for tomorrow, but he was frighteningly adamant.

Without money she had no idea what more he thought they could do, but he assured her of plans. He encouraged her to follow him. Thinking he had no more leverage without easy access to her naughty pictures, she had initially refused. But that had not been all of the pictures.

Under charmed interrogation, he admitted he kept some hidden in the film club’s dark room and another stash in Senior Hatsutori’s studio. At first she worried about going to the senior suites where Yukari was probably doing her final research for her article, but it turned out that Hatsutori’s studio was a rented, no bathroom apartment in the middle of Mononoke.

“What is taking long, my love? Do you need my help?”

Kurumu shuddered, trying to straighten the short black tie that hung down her buttoned up blue jacket. She smoothed the matching navy skirt down, her hips straining against the fabric. These outfits were not made for a girl of her curves. The only reason she could squeeze into some of these was the blessing of having a tiny frame. She already had popped one of the buttons off the police girl outfit Hatsutori had set aside on the changing rack.

Hatsutori’s studio was a single room space that he had lined the walls and ceiling with spongy white foam tiles to serve as a sound barrier. Even the floor had been layered over with some smooth lining that made footsteps inaudible. The only things she could hear was the fluttering of her heart and the menacing breathing of her extortionist.

It had been pretty easy to find the photos in the boxes of props Hatsutori had left behind his changing curtain. She was worried this senior might have seen them, but Nagare assure her that he had borrowed the only key and left the photos here afterwards. Her reputation had not been compromised… yet.

There had been no immediate way to destroy the photos. When she had suggested to go somewhere to dispose of them, he refused under the premise that this would be where they enjoy their date. Leveling his camera at her, he declared they would enjoy their own private photo shoot.

It troubled her how he could stubbornly deny her charm. She felt certain he would destroy those photos the moment they left the studio. And she still needed him, as he had the keys to the film club’s dark room where the rest of the photos were hidden. She had to play along.

But why was this taking so long? Why was he so jittery?

She stepped out from behind the curtain and forced a smile. She felt his lust surge as he raised his camera.

“Hand on the hip, my beloved.”

She placed her hand as instructed and she heard his camera click. He gestured for her to turn her head and took another shot when she did. He stepped in closer, kneeling down and taking an upwards shot of her straining bosom.

The pictures he had been taking for the past hour and a half had all been tame in comparison. She had complained at first, mostly because it was weird prancing about as a maid, fairy princess, cowgirl and now a flight attendant. At least she was not in the gym clothes he had insisted they start with.

“How many more do you need?”

“I could never have enough pictures of you, beloved. Never enough.”

“Well… you’re running out of outfits I can squeeze into.”

“Then I guess we’ll have to take some without outfits.”

She glowered at him.

“That would defeat the purpose of what we’re doing here.”

“It’s only gravure, my love.”

Having seen some of the other pictures he had… she had done some cringe things that night. Apparently she was not unfamiliar with fellatio, though she had no idea whom that was and had no intentions of ever finding out. There had also been quite a few pictures of her playing with herself.

“I don’t care what you think it is. We’re not doing any pictures like that.”

He stood up, pouting with his shoulders drooped.

“So no lingerie shoot?”

“How? There’s no lingerie back there in my size.”

He grinned widely.

“We could do it with the ones you’re wearing.”

His rise in lust was annoying. Even more annoying was how her body kept reacting to each of these surges. Her panties were stained with juices that would stir up with each of his carnal impulses. Even if she had wanted to do a lingerie shoot, there was no way she could do it with these.

“I’m not even wearing my bra right now. This jacket’s too tight.”

“Oh, no bra.”

He leaned in closer, letting go of his camera to squeeze her tit. She scowled, her nipples already sore and aching from hours of lust surges and tight fitting clothes. She swatted his hand aside.

“Is this the last one?”

She glanced at her wrist but realized she had taken off her watch on an earlier shoot due to it conflicting with the image. She was pretty sure girls in kimonos could still wear watches and be authentic, but his whine was even more annoying. She hated his nasal voice.

“How about a swimsuit?”

She frowned, thinking that was not much better than the lingerie option. She had seen a couple back there, but had not attempted to put any on. With her size she imagined the bikinis would end up skimpier than any bra. Maybe a one piece could work.

“Only if it’s the last one.”

Nagare sighed with a whiny whimper.

“Where is the wild Kurumu I used to know and love?”

“There was never a wild Kurumu.”

“You used to flirt with guys all the time.”

“That’s not being wild. And I hardly would call what I did flirting. I just talked with you guys.”

“You used to have all the boys clamoring for your attention. Now it’s like nobody is interested in you.”

“Isn’t that normal? Everybody knows I’m dating Tsukune.”

“Everybody knew you were dating Takada.”

He was right. She could not deny that.

“I was never serious with Takada. When people know it’s serious, they tend to respect the relationship more.”

Nagare wheezed out a laugh as he regarded the small screen on his camera.

“I should thank Tsukune for creating this opportunity. If not for him, I would have never convinced you to keep your promise.”

It was not just for Tsukune. It was for Moka, but also for herself. She felt like so many people would be disappointed with her if those pictures surfaced. So many weak friendships would break. Nazohashi. Genzouyaki. Meirowasa. Even distant acquaintances like Shirayuki would not want to be mixed up with a girl that engaged in group sexual behavior.

He would destroy everything.

“You will say nothing about this to Tsukune. Do you understand?”

“Are you sure about that? He might actually enjoy some of these pictures.”

She paused, uncertain about that. Tsukune had toyed with the ideal of owning a dirty magazine. Having some naughty pictures of her was not something she should quickly object to.

“No. Not a word. No pictures. Not even the silly ones you are taking today. If Tsukune wants to see me naked, he can whenever he wants to. He can ask.”

“Awwww.”

“If you care for me at all, ever loved me, you will not speak to any of my friends about this. And we will be destroying those pictures and the ones in your film club. Because you do care about the life I’m trying to live. Because you care about this Kurumu as much as the one you used to know.”

“I suppose I do.”

“Okay.”

“But one last shoot. A swimsuit. I have to have a swimsuit.”

She sighed, perplexed at how he kept slipping in and out of her charm. Why was he so difficult to control? Even Saizou had been easier to manipulate.

“Fine, just… back off.”

Shaking her head, she retreated around the curtain. She bent over and picked up the watch, noting it was nearly four. Nagare was slow, so even if they did finish up in the next ten to fifteen minutes, they would not be back on campus to handle his last stash of contraband till after five. She hoped the rest of the club was still working in the computer room, as she would like to retrieve her bag with his blackmail letter. Of course she would have to apologize, but she did have all of tomorrow to work on her article. Assuming they had not done it for her.

Loosening the tie, she pulled it over her head with the silly cap and tossed both back into the nearest prop box on her left. She started pushing the large gold buttons through the slits, her girls more than happy to get some fresh air. Finishing up, she yanked on the arms of the jacket that clung tightly to her arms until the constricting thing was off.

Shaking it out, she grabbed the wire hanger and slipped it into the arms. Setting the jacket on the rack with everything else, she started working down the white, frilly blouse she had worn beneath. She had only bothered with a couple of the lower buttons on this one because it was not meant for a girl of her figure. It soon joined the jacket.

Moving to her waist, she unhooked the little belt that was fed through the few loops of the tight skirt. It was part of the outfit, though it had served no purpose. She squeezed the front of her skirt to release the slide and felt up for the small zipper in the fold. Tugging it down, she wiggled her hips till she got the clingy fabric past her thighs. Damn thing was so tight she nearly lost her panties in the process.

She glanced over the rack, noting the swimsuit options and debating if she should lose the panties. Then again, she had no idea whom had worn these last and if those things had ever been washed. Not that her soiled cottons would help matters.

She was absently thumbing the hem of her panties when she felt his approach.

“Kurumu, my love.”

It was hard to say if he had come to check on her or not. He simply walked by the curtain, glanced her over and pounced in on her. She barely turned about before his arms were wrapped about her torso, pulling her tits against him.

“Nagare!”

His sweaty lips crushed against hers. Her mind was swimming as she struggled to get her hands up. But her arms were pinned and her legs were buckling under his weight. It was all she could manage to turn her head aside.

This was not good. This was not normal. This had never happened. For all the boys she had charmed, not a single one had kissed her. Only Takada had kissed her, and that had been under direct influence. She had never had a passing thought that would ever encourage a boy to kiss her. Her random thoughts were more in line with resulting in a guy to try to remove clothing, which could easily be rectified because that took time.

Nagare was licking at her neck, causing her body to tingle. His whole body trembled with desire. She could not push him away. She whimpered, pounding her fists on his hips as her panties developed a new stain of anticipation.

“Nagare, please!”

“I just need a taste! It’s been so long!”

He released one of his arms, giving her the freedom to resist. She quickly moved her hand up to push away his face, bending back over the hand that had drifted to the small of her back. She freed her other arm and pushed on his shoulder.

Fingers thrust through the hem of her panties and started feeling around her curls. Giving up on his face, she grabbed for his arm. But it was too late. His fingers were already slipping through her precious spot.

“Nagare!”

What do I do? What do I do?

Her body was aching madly, desiring fulfillment. His lust was overbearing to the point it was difficult to stand. Her eyes were watering up as her heart beat madly. She willed her fingers into talons, raking up the flesh of his arm as she tried to pull the hand away.

He slammed her up against the wall on her left. A finger slipped inside her and she cried. She raised her hand and stabbed him through the shoulder, blood spraying everywhere. He pushed up hard into her, his lips catching hers once again.

Should she kill him? Could she? She just needed to make eye contact, right? He would leave her be and everything will be fine. His lips pulled away as he lowered his head to her shoulder. His breath was hot and ragged.

“Just a taste. I need it.”

She felt soaked in his blood and in her juices. His fingers abandoned her aching body, drawing up her torso. He turned his head, sticking out his tongue to daintily lick at his digits. The scent of her sex was overwhelming.

She yanked her hand free, blood smattering across the wall. She snatched up his hand and squeezed hard. He whimpered at first, but then he started to laugh, his whole body twitching against her.

“I guess I have to use it.”

The air suddenly became oppressive. She coughed as she felt her arms and legs go numb. Her heart pounded madly as she felt her body slipping down to the floor. There was nothing she could do. He kept laughing, lowering to his knees as they came down together.

“Nagare! Please! Please don’t!”

“Just a taste, my love. I’ve waited so long. Just a taste.”

She had no strength to attack him. He would not lift his head to meet her gaze. She could do nothing as he slipped down her seated torso, tugging her panties down to her knees. His hands grabbed the inside of her thighs, pushing them both back and wide.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Please! Stop!”

His head lowered and she felt his tongue in her curls. She lifted her head back, squeezing her eyes tight. Her breath came ragged as she tried not to feel him. She did not want to feel anything. Nothing. She whimpered as the familiar spasm coursed through her body. Once valued for pleasure but now sickening. She hated it.

And then it was over.

* * *

Kurumu regarded the door to the computer room. She tugged on the door, confirming it was locked. The same as the other one. It was a little after seven, so it was not that surprising.

Nagare had passed out. She had no idea why, nor did she care. He had not been breathing. Not that she cared. She smashed his precious camera. Took his keys, figuring one of them would be for the film clubroom. She burned all the photos from the studio.

Listless, she had returned to her dorm room first. She had spent almost an hour showering with water on the hottest setting. After dressing up, she had went to the dining hall and ate by herself in a corner. It was hard to say if she had ignored someone, but it was not like anybody had taken the effort to sit with her. She was alone. That was life. It moves forward no matter what happens.

She sighed again, figuring everyone would have left for the day. She walked back down the hall, intent on the film clubroom. It was a small room. She doubted it would take long to find his stuff. After that… it would be like nothing had ever happened.

She wondered what the day had been like for the others. She doubted there had been much time to discuss before Moka had to leave with Mr. Nagamushi. She imagined Tsukune would have offered to go with, though she could also see Nazohashi taking that role. It was not like it had to be Tsukune.

Chatting with all the missing girls probably took some time. He had six of them in there and only one done to her knowledge. Maybe two. That could easily be an hour with no telling how long it would have been for the other two to show up. If they had showed up. He probably would have gone to lunch. Maybe. Ms. Nekonome had made that offer. How much time could it really take to organize his article?

Moka probably had not gotten back to the computer room till around two. Maybe even as late as three depending on how pleasant things had been. Most likely someone would have still been in the lab.

At some point Morioka, Tsukune and Yukari would have left to take some pictures for Yukari's article. It made sense if they had waited for Moka's return, so they probably had taken Ms. Nekonome's offer. It was not like missing one meal was a big deal. That would have given Yukari or Tora enough time to format Morioka's article for him. Yea… it probably had been Tsukune with Moka. What else could he have done up to this point?

Her article. He could have been doing that. That was a nice thought.

So while she was in the studio with Nagare, Moka and Tora had been here in the computer room writing about her wonderful picnic. Tsukune and Yukari had been out getting pictures for her article with Morioka. Kind of a nice, uneventful day for everyone else.

She imagined Moka and Tora would have waited till the others returned. That could have been as early as five or as late as six. So… they had called it a day. She probably had just missed them on the walk to school. Or maybe Morioka had treated everyone to a dinner in Mononoke as a reward for a solid day of work. He was a pain, but she could see him doing that. Kurai did not start serving dinner till six, so if they had finished early, it made sense.

She wondered what they thought about her. Did they all think she had skipped the day for fun? If Yamabato spoke with Tsukune later tonight, it certainly would end up looking that way. Unari could also mention her eating lunch with Nagare to Moka. Those two were neighbors. When it came down to it, she had to admit she spent the day with Nagare. She did not want to call them liars.

Perhaps that was for the best. It would be better if they all thought she was a flake that did not care about her article or the club. That she would prioritize catching up with an old classmate over taking care of her responsibilities. They might be mad, but it was not like they had any expectations of her. She was just tagging along to be with Tsukune. Considering it had looked like her day would have consisted of not being near him, was it really hard to conclude she would not skip out?

She paused, noting that the door to her classroom was open. Maybe she had been too pessimistic. She slipped in through the back door.

“Evening, my beloved.”

Nagare grinned, looking up from her desk. His broken camera still hung about his neck. His shirt was still torn and bloodied. He tilted his head, his one eye burning with madness.

“We had so much fun today!”

She should kill him. A part of her screamed at her to do it. But it all felt so pointless. It did not change what had happened. Besides, people had seen her with the guy. If he turned up dead, it would only draw attention to her. She just wanted it over.

“Why are you here?”

He laughed, getting up from her seat. The school had sanitizer. She would need some.

“You have my keys, beloved. I can't go home without my keys.”

That made sense. The boys' dorm lacked a supervisor. His card would only get him inside the building. Whomever handled the keys would probably be off for the weekend.

She fished her hand in the pocket of her shorts, pulling out his ring of keys. Walking over to him, she flopped the keys on her desk, seeing no reason to hand them over directly nor to taint Shirayuki's desk. He gathered them up, slipping his middle finger through the ring as he raised his hand as if acquiring a trophy.

“And now we can take care of the photos in the Film Club.”

She really did not want to spend any more time with this guy. She regarded his twitching eye.

“You will never touch me again.”

“Aww… but your pictures aren't enough to tide me over.”

“You're not my boyfriend, Nagare. Never have been. Never will be.”

He laughed as he turned his attention to the keys. He moved them about on the ring till he had a black one selected. He held it up with a wild grin.

“Do I really want to burn the last of my pictures? It seems I would have nothing left of my precious Kurumu. I can't have that.”

Kurumu scowled.

“You still have the ones at home. If you want your dirty pictures of me that badly, you can leave this school and never come back.”

“I don't want the pictures.”

He tilted his head, stepping in and placing his hands on her shoulders.

“I want your taste.”

She struck out, hitting his chest. His body sailed clean across the room, smashing through the windows. Shards of glass rained about the classroom as his limp body flung out into the early night, vanishing from sight. Satisfied she turned about and walked for the hallway.

Her ear ached viciously. She reached up to touch her lobe, aware that her tail had slipped out. The spade end was closing as she felt a trickle of fluid on her fingertips. She noted he was still standing before her with his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were wide and his body was trembling.

“What was that?”

She had no idea. Annoyed, she pushed one of his hands aside and turned about.

“Do not touch me, Nagare!”

“I'm sorry, my love, but I can't help it. It's been so hard watching from afar and I've been so patient.”

Angrily she stormed out of the room. She did not want to listen to his tale of suffering. He had bored her with it three times already. Poor, poor Nagare. Having to wait with baited breath for a chance to be with the girl he loved more than anything. Too scared to ask why she had broken up with Takada. How he begged for his parents to send him to Yokai to be close to her. The pain of sharing no classes with her. Realizing he was too late to make his move when she boldly claimed Tsukune on the third day of school.

Poor, poor Nagare. He could not find a break. He had not known about the newspaper club to put in an application. The dumb kid was kind of oblivious to the fact that he could have applied for both clubs, and she was not about to enlighten him. Her housemother had refused to take his blackmail letter from him last week, since her shoe locker had been locked up. And since she did not use the shoe cubbies at the front of the school, he had been too scared to leave such precious photos for anyone to find in one of the unused slots reserved for her class. He was so patient, so considerate. She honestly should be thanking him for not circulating these photos to the school by now.

He was falling behind. She turned about at Mr. Hakuru's lab, cocking her head at the slow moving Nagare.

“Why are you taking so long?”

He laughed as he shuffled his feet.

“So much fun today. We should do this again tomorrow.”

“There's no reason to do this tomorrow.”

“No reason. Yes… I don't really want to destroy those pictures.”

Frustrated, she clenched her fists. She could not get through to this guy. He was charmed, right? Why was he so resilient? She was scared to hammer him with thoughts of loving her, because he would start touching her again. It did not even matter. He was obsessed. Crazy. Drunk in her presence.

“I spent most the day with you, Nagare. I should have been finishing my article. You know, the one that you were supposed to help take pictures for yesterday. Now I have to spend my Sunday doing that instead.”

“I took pictures.”

She scowled, aware that he had.

“Of the girls. You were supposed to take pictures of the girls in track.”

“Maybe if you didn't have an article, you could spend more time with me.”

Shut up and burn those pictures. I hate you, you piece of shit!

As much as she wanted this to be over, she felt like she would not be able to convince him to part with his extortion. She had to make an offer his obsessed mind would agree with.

“What do you want from me?”

“What do I want?”

He grinned, rows of fangs bared.

“I want you. I want to lick every inch of you. You're so delicious.”

Her skin crawled at the notion of a tongue bath. She knew he would do it. He already had. Her lower lip trembled.

Did it even matter if it was once or twice? The line was already crossed.

“Fine. In exchange for the photos. Tomorrow night… after I finish the article.”

His eyes widened, twitching.

“You're so sweet, my love. We could do it now.”

He nodded to the bathrooms.

Her body shivered. That was true, though he had passed out the last time.

“We burn the photos first. Do you understand? Then…”

“Of course, my love. Of course.”

Clutching her breast, she turned about. She had to be careful. She had to see the pictures and confirm it was all of them. At that point, she would do whatever she could to avoid fulfilling this promise. Once or twice may not matter, but it would not be willingly. It would never be willingly.

She would rather die.


	28. Lilith's Eye

Was there a point to live?

She stared impassively over her tucked knees at the digits of her clock. The small of her back pressed against the door while her tail curled firmly about her left ankle. Her tits were barely contained in her black tank top pushed warmly against her thighs.

Why was she still alive?

Paralyzing gas. The first time she had not attributed the experience to some ability he possessed. She had thought it was part of fear, her body betraying her, her heart flittering madly, hyperventilation… and she honestly had not wanted to think about it at all. Every recess of her mind had demanded to push that first violation aside, so when it happened again, she had been so angry and frustrated.

At least she had found the photos first. At least she had confirmed this was the last batch he had on campus… not counting the ones he had given her. He had turned on her so quickly to claim his prize. She had tried to fight but the pungent air assailed her. She could only cry as he stripped her of her clothes and did as he pleased.

Her nethers ached at the memory. She hated this so much that her heart hurt. This wicked, traitorous body had yielded to his tongue. Twice. It would gladly do it again. This body did not care for her feelings. It did not care for the image she wished to convey. It did not even care if it was Tsukune. It would enjoy use from anything. She really was nothing but a whore.

She tightened her grip about her knees as a tear rolled down her cheek. Useless things. She ducked her head to rub her eye against her arm. Sniffling, she turned her attention back to the clock. It kept moving. Cold, methodical, uncaring.

She supposed it was over. There was nothing Nagare could hold over her now, short of running back home. She doubted he could do that on a whim. This was a boarding school, after all. Students required special permission to leave before the end of the term.

He had succumbed to a fit of convulsing after maybe two or so minutes of… When his gas had faded enough for her body to regain some mobility, she had struggled to redress herself and destroy the rest of his leverage. Returning home, she had treated herself to her second shower of the evening.

Technically she was still a virgin. Technically. It did not feel that way. It was like arguing his actions as technically not rape. Clinging to this mantle of virginity was a sad attempt to escape the reality. There was nothing left.

More minutes passed. She had already silenced the alarm before taking her comfortable spot here, her bare bottom sticking ever so slightly to the hard surface. It had failed in its task to wake her up, considering she had barely slept at all. Even the four hours she had managed was a miracle.

At some point she would need to put some panties on. She would have to eat. She did have an article to finish and she did need to take care of that blackmail envelope. She just had to get through this day. When school started tomorrow, the daily routine would keep her mind busy. And maybe… maybe after a week or two, this will feel like it never happened.

That sounded nice. Maybe Tsukune would take more interest in her soon. Maybe he would hold her more and even kiss her like he had… Maybe. Maybe if those test results were favorable, they could do more couple things. And maybe, over time, he would properly confess his love for her.

Maybe there would even come a day when she could tell him about what really happened yesterday. But it was not anyone’s fault. Not really. Because they all had to take care of that newspaper. Because that was important. More important than an irresponsible girl trying to avoid writing her article.

She had to be happy. She had to be strong. She had to move on. If she caved in now, she would have to explain everything and that would defeat the whole price she had paid. She could not take it back now. Nobody had to know.

The door shook as someone knocked.

“Kurumu? You need to get up. If we don’t hurry, we won’t have time for breakfast.”

It was a little past seven. Was Moka seriously thinking about dragging her to church this morning? What was the point giving praise to a god that allowed yesterdays to happen? Was he still pissed off that Lilith had rejected his precious Adam? Maybe next time in his divine sense of justice he would allow her to be violated in the confessional booth.

She had seen something like that, right? Some weird compilation about naughty nuns. She kind of wondered why her mother owned all that sick shit. As if having a whore’s body was not enough.

Moka banged louder.

“Kurumu! You are in there, right?”

A part of her wanted to remain silent. She was not ready to be the happy girl everyone needed her to be. She took a deep breath.

“Yes.”

She could hear Moka shift, the vampire realizing her seated position.

“Kurumu? What are you doing?”

“You should go without me, Moka. I’m really tired.”

“Did you stay out late last night?”

“Yea…”

“Kamitsuku did say he saw you with that guy from his club. The one you went to Junior High with. Were you with him all day?”

That was Yamabato’s first name. Perhaps she gave Moka too little credit when it came to making friends. There was no point denying the truth.

“Pretty much, Moka. Pretty much.”

“That was mean, Kurumu. Couldn’t you have rescheduled that? I was really counting on you to help me with that picnic.”

Mean? She supposed that was true. Perhaps everything that had happened was nothing more than she deserved.

“I’m sorry, Moka. I didn’t think he would keep me… occupied all day. I wanted to come back.”

“Are you going to open the door?”

She imagined she looked horrible. That would just cause more questions.

“How was the picnic?”

“I… it was fine.”

“What did you think of Ms. Sasayaki?”

She managed a laugh.

“The first time you met her, you were kind of sleeping.”

“I don't really remember that. She is pretty, I guess. Even though she was with family, she was very quiet. She did more talking with me for the article than she did with her sister.”

Kurumu wondered about that. It had been Ms. Sasayaki’s idea to avoid a personal story because it would be boring.

“What about Mr. Nagamushi? Was his family nice?”

There was a silent pause.

“Kurumu… what's wrong?”

Nothing was wrong. She really wished she had gone with Moka. Another unwanted tear to wipe away.

“I'm just curious, Moka. Can't I be interested in this?”

“Well, I guess.”

“Ms. Sasayaki said he had two kids. What were they like?”

“They were little. The girl was quiet and shy. She clung to her mother most of the time, but she stared at us a lot. I didn't know if I should talk with her. I've never been around little kids before.”

She smiled, supposing that would have been awkward for Moka. In some ways, Moka was not that old. She did only have six years worth of memories.

“Maybe she couldn't talk.”

“She did say things, but it was so soft and only to her parents. They said she had just turned two at the end of March.”

Kurumu smiled, aware how timid some children could be. While she did not have a whole lot of experience, she would occasionally bump into one back in her old town. The tots were never an issue. It was usually the adults that would whisk the kids away and warn about talking with undesirables like her.

“Was the boy older?”

“He was. He was quite vocal about turning four in January. He… well… he was a handful. He kept running about and causing Tsukune trouble. It was funny but we ended up taking much longer with all the interruptions.”

Kurumu sighed, squeezing her arms about her knees. Of course it ended up like that. What a nice day it must have been.

“Couldn't you have asked Tora instead?”

“Huh?”

“It didn't have to be Tsukune.”

Another decent pause of silence. That silly girl should leave. She was not going to have any time for breakfast.

“Will you open the door?”

“You should go, Moka. I can't be with you right now.”

“Kurumu… it would have been awkward if I asked someone else after he offered.”

She guessed that was true. She managed a ragged breath as her body trembled.

“Did you kiss him again?”

“… … … … … … … no.”

Kurumu choked out a laugh.

“Yea, of course not. Silly me. Why would you kiss my boyfriend?”

“He's not your boyfriend.”

Her denial was so much different than before. Normally it was delivered in a quick, sharp and frantic tone. This time she spoke softly but with conviction. It was not a threat. It was a fact.

“Oh, my mistake. I guess he's your boyfriend.”

Even meant as sarcasm, it hurt. Hearing those words from her own lips crushed her heart. She clutched her chest as she sat up, pressing the back of her head against the door.

“Stop this, Kurumu. You need to open this door.”

“But it's true. Surely you've thought about it. How much better it would be if I was not around. Perhaps it would be better for everyone if I just disappeared.”

She could hear the breath catch in Moka's throat.

“That's not fair.”

What was? So many things came to her mind and it was not limited to yesterday. The game had always been stacked against her.

“That's how it is.”

“Kurumu. I'm not going to apologize for how I feel about Tsukune.”

“I don't want your apology.”

“It's no excuse. You can't just abandon us. The club needs you to finish your article. I needed you yesterday.”

“Anybody could do my article.”

“That's not the point. Friends don't abandon each other like what you did yesterday.”

“So I deserve to be punished, right?”

“What…?”

“Leave me alone, Moka. Just let this one go, please.”

Moka took a deep breath.

“No. You will open this door or I will make up a reason for the housemother to give me a key.”

Kurumu groaned, knowing the stupid girl would do that. Fine. At this point, Moka would think her current state was over some fucking lip touching. There was no reason to let her know otherwise.

Uncoiling her tail from her ankle, she lifted herself off the floor. She stumbled a bit, but found her balance with gripping the door knob. Taking a steadying breath, she drew back the dead bolt and turned the knob. She pulled the door open, stepping back to keep her body behind it as she peered around the end.

Moka waltzed in the room, surprisingly dressed in the school uniform. The vampire looked her over and managed a slight smile. Moka reached up and brushed the wetness on her cheek.

“You've been crying.”

“Thanks, I didn't notice.”

“Well… get dressed.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, letting the door close. She glanced about her room, supposing she should put away her sheets and move on with her life. She walked around Moka and knelt down to grab the corner of her sheets.

“No fancy outfit today?”

“We keep doing things after church. It feels awkward being dressed up all day when everyone else is so casual.”

“I think your god will be disappointed.”

There was that odd feeling again. Occasionally when Moka was around her, the vampire would give off something that was difficult to explain. At first it had been like sickeningly sweet. But having felt it several times now, it was more like warmth. It still was weird as it sort of felt like that time with Yukari in the science lab.

Right now… this was annoying. Everything about her was annoying. Kurumu pulled the sheets up into a bundle, lifting them up off the floor and heading over to the open closet.

“What are you thinking about, Moka?”

“Oh, well… Yukari told you, right? About the… kiss.”

Kurumu smirked as she stuffed the blanket onto the top shelf.

“Tsukune let me know about it. He felt bad that you took advantage of him in his weakened state and begged for my forgiveness.”

“That's not what happened.”

She pulled her tank up over her head and slung the cloth in the general direction of her busted hamper. Nude, she bent over to pull open her lingerie drawer and fish out a matching bra and panties. It felt like a simple white day. She was not in the mood for her nicer things.

“And there he was lying, helpless, with nothing but a thin hospital sheet and gown as you pressed in with all your feminine wiles. Why if Yukari had not walked in there was no telling what might have happened.”

She smirked as she turned about, clasping the front bra hooks and tucking her breasts comfortably in their pockets. She walked over to the flustered vampire, whom was fidgeting with her hands as she looked aside.

“That's not true. I… well…”

Kurumu stepped in and hugged Moka, pressing her cheek against the vampire's shoulder. She relaxed a bit, taking in a deep breath. She could tell Moka had taken her sponge bath last night.

“Mmm… I hate you.”

Moka's hand pushed on her head and shoulder. Laughing, she allowed the vampire to escape her clutches.

“Could you get dressed?”

She felt better. As she went through the motions to clothe herself, she promised she would think as little as possible about yesterday. She could manage that. She could still laugh and smile. She would be fine.

* * *

As they reached the end of the trail to the school, Kurumu darted ahead next to Nazohashi to spin about and backpedal as she smiled at Tsukune. Naturally he smiled back while Moka clung protectively to his left arm, mildly hindering his stride.

“You could have done at least a little of my article for me. You realize how much time it could take me?”

Nazohashi, wearing a soft yellow polo as she clearly was not informed about the change of dress, glanced aside at her. The brunette pointedly took a step away as her hands lingered at the sides of her black sailor pant.

“If you fall, please have the courtesy to do so by yourself.”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at the snooty girl, which only encouraged the class rep to put even more distance between them.

“I kind of thought you would want to do it yourself. It is your article and you worked so hard on it. It wouldn’t feel right to take it from you.”

Kurumu smiled, feeling that was considerate in its own way. From their conversation before the service, it sounded like the paper was only missing her article. Moka had finished hers with Nazohashi before the others had returned from their extra research for Yukari’s piece. Noting the time, Morioka made the call to move the group to Yukari’s place, where they had shared dinner and helped the runt write up an article that would not read like a technical manual.

It sounded like Zukkutani was serious about joining the club. While her paperwork was not officially turned in, the aspiring illustrator had stuck around up to the point of locking the computer lab. She had spent a lot of time doodling on her Wacom tablet, some digital drawing thingie that she had hooked up to her own laptop. It sounded like she was good at it.

Along with her random graphics, Zukkutani also had ideas for a simple comic that involved some oddball characters she had been working on since Junior High. These silly teens would muse about life and make random puns in the same fashion of the girls from Azumanga Daioh, some anime series the others all seemed to know about.

“I wouldn’t have cried over a little help from my boyfriend.”

“Don’t start that again.”

Kurumu waved a hand dismissively at Moka. She glanced over her shoulder, ensuring she was not going to walk into the edge of the perimeter wall.

“Are you going to do something about that leech attached to your arm, Tsukune? That can’t be comfortable.”

“Well… it’s easier than when both of my arms were being held.”

“I’m offended.”

“You’re short. It would have been much easier holding hands.”

Kurumu raised her hand to wag a finger.

“Hear that, Moka. It’s easier to hold my-.”

She stumbled as the back of her foot hit something. Despite the threat, Tora quickly reached out to grab her by the upper arm. Grinning, she whirled about to slink over to Tora’s other side, draping her captured arm over the brunette’s scrawny shoulders.

“My prince.”

“Ugh… you’re heavy.”

Kurumu snorted, letting her arm slip free as she clasped her hands together at the small of her back.

“You’re weak.”

“Will you try to behave?”

Kurumu wiggled her bottom, aware of Tsukune’s attention. A shame she was wearing a skirt, as she imagined her shorts would have had tastier results.

“I am behaving.”

Tora clasped her hands at her waist, walking the rest of the way to the nearest stairwell as if in prayer. That pant clung so tightly about her waist and rump that her keys and card were a huge bulge on her backside. She had taken the items out during the service as they would not stay in those tiny pockets when seated.

Breakfast had been rushed. Though they caught Tora before the girl headed out, they lacked the time to do any meaningful conversation. Most of that had come during the walk to the chapel.

Having slept in, Tsukune had not joined them until after the service. He had been waiting near the door a few minutes, not wanting to interrupt. Realizing the lateness of his arrival, he had elected to wear that dragon ash shirt and some jeans.

“So do we have any plans for after?”

“Not that I’m aware of.”

“We should hit up that roller rink. That could be fun.”

Tora rolled her eyes, shaking her head.

“That’s not an outing fit for school skirts.”

Kurumu bounced ahead a step to pull open the door. She stepped in, letting the door rest up against her back as the others closed the distance.

“It’s only an issue if you fall down.”

“Yes, you’ve demonstrated your perfect balance today.”

Kurumu smirked, shooing the girl to head inside.

“We should do something in our free time.”

“There’s always studying.”

“Something fun.”

She waved at the other two to hurry up. Moka had given up on the whole arm hold and was politely walking alongside him. While Moka had not tried any blood sucking today, it did look like his neck had some faded marks. Kurumu made a mental note to pull that silly boy aside and remind him that even blood donation centers have a limit to how often you can stop by.

“Tsukune, you up to tutor me tonight?”

“What?”

“Tora thinks I should study and I want to have fun, so you being my tutor is the perfect compromise.”

“I can help you study.”

“Won’t that be past your bedtime?”

“I can stay awake when I have to.”

Kurumu pushed on Moka’s shoulder as the girl passed by. Annoyed, the vampire shoved her back. Grinning, Kurumu stepped in and purposely snatched up both of Moka’s hands and started pushing her into the school. Confused, Moka backed up till she was pressed to the wall.

“What are you two doing?”

With a final shove, Kurumu let go and turned about sharply. Smugly she crossed her arms below her breasts and turned her nose up.

“I’m just riling Tsukune up. He likes it when I get physical.”

Before she could enjoy his flush reaction and Tora’s arched brow, a heavy fist smacked her square in the head.

“Hey!”

Moka hit down a second time, this time causing her eyes to water. She whirled about and pushed the pouty vampire back before a third blow landed.

“Okay, cut it out.”

She relaxed as his hands gently pulled her back by the shoulders. She snaked her hands up to touch his. Tilting her head, she frowned at Moka.

“See that, Tsukune? I was playing around and she got all violent. You don’t like violent girls, right?”

“Could the three of you stop goofing off?”

Kurumu rolled her head back, noting Tora was starting up the stairs while shaking her head. Grinning, Kurumu slipped free of Tsukune to chase after the huffy class rep.

This was fun. She would have to thank Moka for this morning. There was no telling how much time she would have wasted in her room alone, or how poor her mood would have been if she had come here by herself.

She caught up with Tora at the first landing. Without a thought, she slung her arms about the girl’s shoulders and pressed into her. She breathed in deep, noting the flowery fragrance.

“You smell nice.”

“And you are excessively clingy today.”

“What is it? The scent.”

“Jasmine. Personal space. Please.”

Kurumu let the girl go halfway up the second flight. She purposefully went up the stairs with an extra hop to her step.

“I’m surprised you got all the girls for Morioka’s article.”

“Oh, we didn’t.”

“But you said his article was finished.”

“We finished it with the statement that Kinzoku could not be reached for comment. Since Senjo was never officially reported, we decided to not even mention her.”

“That’s nice.”

“Hmm?”

“Not mentioning her. She might not want people to know what happened.”

Tora smiled.

“Senior said something similar. I’m sure those two had their reasons and it’s not our place to demand participation.”

Kurumu managed a smile, glancing back over her shoulder as they turned down the elective hallway. Tsukune was taller than all of them, so there really was no reason for him to be lagging so far behind. It was not that hard to keep up with Tora’s quick pace.

“So how have things been going between you two?”

“With Senior? It’s been the same.”

“Oh? Disappointed?”

Tora huffed indignantly.

“I’m not. Stop nagging me about it.”

“You could start with calling him Ginei.”

“I’ll call him that when you do.”

Kurumu grinned.

“You promise?”

“Don’t you have your own relationship to worry about?”

Kurumu shrugged, drawing her hands behind her head to clasp them together at her neck.

“Well, there’s the whole becoming a slave with a kiss standing as a huge road block to my highway to love. I kind of want to investigate that further before diving recklessly in. Not that I have any doubts about it. I know Tsukune and I will be happy together. It’s just a matter of figuring out the best way to do that without potential harm.”

“I do hope you get good news.”

“Aww… and here I thought you would have been rooting for Moka.”

“I will not dignify that comment with a response.”

Kurumu smiled, supposing this was Tora being diplomatic. Tora had no reason to wish ill upon either of them.

“Thanks, Tora.”

As they neared the computer room, there was quite a commotion going on. Morioka was talking in a soothing voice that wavered in audibility with a girl sobbing in the background. Sharing a glance with Tora, she quickened her step to reach the open door.

Yukari was seated in the same spot with her laptop open. Wearing that silly hat as always, she had changed up her wardrobe in favor of a periwinkle tee with glittery stars scattered across it and a knee length pair of denim shorts. She was working quietly, ignoring the other two occupants.

Morioka was seated on the other side of the station he had been conducting his interviews. This allowed him to be next to a whimpering Zukkutani. The girl was leaned against him, her yellow locks contrasting sharply against his burgundy dress shirt. His arm was around the girl’s back, the sleeve rolled back and buttoned above his elbow. He gently brushed the girl’s hair as she twisted the hem of her white blouse.

Morioka looked up at their arrival, his eyes quickly darting aside before he crossed stares. He drew his hand off his black cargos, rubbing the back of his head.

“Someone broke in.”

“What?”

“It’s gone. Everything we left in here last night.”

“We have most of it still. I’m not stupid enough to leave my things in this school overnight.”

Zukkutani winced, looking away piteously.

“Can it, brat. Not everyone has your foresight.”

Tora wandered up to the front of the class, settling in next to Yukari.

“Ms. Sendou is correct. I backed up all the articles on her drive. We should be fine.”

“Not all the articles.”

Morioka nodded in her direction.

A cold, oppressive feeling clamped down on her heart. Kurumu hurried over to the two girls, quickly noting there was nothing there. Her schoolbag was not here. Her notebook and the memory stick Yamabato had left in her care were also gone. She clenched her fist, her thoughts returning to yesterday. He would do something like this.

“Did you at least make copies of the pictures?”

Yukari huffed.

“I was planning to, but Tsukune was all about how this is everyone’s paper and it wouldn’t feel right if you didn’t do your part.”

“Without Kurumu’s article… I don’t think we can do this. That’s easily a whole page of content lost.”

“Did you see anyone in the teachers’ lounge? I was thinking of taking Kana there to report this theft.”

“We didn’t walk by the lounge. Senior… it’s Sunday.”

“I know, I know. But the girl lost a laptop, drawing pad and whatever else she had on that thing. The faculty is all we have to report this to.”

Kurumu straightened up. She did not believe in coincidence. Turning on her heel, she started for the front door.

“Kurumu, wait. Do you at least have a list of names?”

“There’s no time for that Tora. We’ll have to come up with something else.”

“Something else?”

“I promised a paper this week. There’s no time to make another sports article. Write about the poor security of the school.”

“You know what the PSC would have to say about that.”

Kurumu slipped out into the hall, turning to her right. She had an idea where he might be. She doubted he would take those things back to his dorm room or to the studio. He would want her to find him as quickly as possible when she discovered the theft. This was his new leverage.

Her wrist was snatched up before she could start to descend the stairs. She glanced over her shoulder, regarding the vampire.

“Kurumu! We need you to help with the club!”

She did not want Moka to follow her now. It was too late for that.

“I have to take care of something.”

“I heard what Morioka said. What are you going to do about your article?”

Kurumu wrenched her wrist free and glared at the girl. Why was she so stubborn? She had to come up with a reason.

“I need you to watch Tsukune for me, Moka.”

“Tsukune? Why?”

She did not blink as she regarded those turquoise eyes.

“Don’t you want to protect Tsukune?”

Moka faltered back a step, confused.

“I don’t understand. What about your article?”

“I’ll take care of it. Trust me.”

Moka glanced away.

“If that’s what you want.”

Hoping that was good enough, Kurumu turned away and strode down the stairs. She did not hear anyone following her.

There were two possible places he might be. The film club was not a bad choice, given the small confines and how quickly he could overpower her. The other option was where this had all started. She hoped it was out in the courtyard. It would be easier to bury the body.

She stepped out into the courtyard, breathing in the fresh air. She flexed her hands, fingers stretching out into talons. She hoped with it being outside that his putrid gas power would be less effective. The bigger issue would be finding what he had stolen. It would probably be somewhere in the school, but getting him to cough up the goods would be no different from yesterday. No doubt he would try to do it to her again. This time she would kill him. Nobody would spend a week looking for this piece of shit.

She could feel him. As she neared the tree, she heard him cackling with glee. She hazarded a glance over her shoulder, making sure that they were alone.

“I had a feeling you would come.”

He was perched up on the same branch as before. His clothes were torn and bloodied from yesterday. The broken camera still dangled from his neck. He probably had not left the school last night. In his hands was her notebook. He lifted it for her to see.

“Is this important to you?”

Her lower lip trembled. She had enough presence of mind to not ruin another outfit, curbing the desire to fly up and rend him to pieces. But if he used his powers, she would not be able to let out her true form easily. The last time she had not even been able to bring out her talons.

“You've taken something from me.”

Flexing her talons, she allowed her tail to slip out. She felt it touch the cool grass and let it move naturally with the impulse of her body.

“Where is the rest of it?”

He laughed, tilting his head. His bloodshot eye burned with madness.

“I can't do that, my beloved! I must have you. More and more!”

“You will tell me what you did with the rest of it.”

He cackled in his lunacy, gripping her notebook so tightly that it bent. He launched himself from the tree, staggering on impact. His head cocked strangely aside as he straightened up, leering menacingly.

“You have to do as I say first.”

She grimaced, backing away as he approached. As before, her charm was not cutting it with this guy. Her fresh memory of the encounters yesterday only increased his desire as she inadvertently pushed these into his head with her commands. She could tell he wanted to do it again.

“Just one more taste and I will give you the notebook.”

“No. I need all of it. The paper had to be done today.”

His ear touched his shoulder as he grinned wickedly.

“It sounds like we will have much fun today, my beloved.”

Her body was trembling as she kept backpedaling. Her memories, his desire and knowing it would happen again caused this wicked vessel to respond. She could sense the dampness of her crotch and her tits were aching. It wanted more.

Gritting her teeth, she bowed her head.

“Please, Nagare. Tell me where you hid it all. I… I promise.”

Tears of frustration were welling at the corners of her eyes. What could she do? She had to get the memory drive with the photos back. She had to get all of Zukkutani's things back. This was her fault. She might deserve to be punished but not her friends.

“But if I give you everything, you won't be with me anymore. I can't have that. I can't let you go, my beloved.”

Feeling the tightness in her throat, she reached up to her head and carefully loosened her lace ribbon. This was something she had kept to herself. A part of her had always questioned the honesty of her mother, but right now, she believed it true. She held the gift out to him.

“Here. It's the only thing my Father left me. It's precious to me. Please. Give me the rest of it back and you can hold this instead. I will do whatever you ask.”

The thickness of the air intensified. She caught a breath and quickly slapped one hand over her mouth as she pulled her ribbon back with the other. She stumbled back against the wall, feeling her strength weaken.

“Yes, that would be lovely to have. I think I shall take it.”

She glanced about wildly, noting a door with the label of courtyard storage. She darted over, grabbing the handle. With much relief, the door opened. She spun about the door, slamming it behind her. Panicked, she drew the deadbolt and backed away. She could feel her ribbon still in her hand.

“Oh, my beloved. That will not work.”

She coughed, backing all the way to the far wall. He was pushing his noxious gas through the door. Covering her mouth and nose with one hand, she set the ribbon aside on a workbench to have her hand free. A door was not a huge obstacle to most monsters. She stumbled forward, knowing she had to attack the moment he broke through.

Something lecherous and malevolent oozed under the door frame. The gas kept pouring in and she had no choice but to inhale. Her legs buckled as her strength failed. She struck against a rolling cart, trying to hold herself up but her arms and hands lacked the control.

“Like a slug, I can get through any small crevices. How else did you think I got into a locked computer lab?”

As he laughed, Kurumu struggled to move something, anything. She had not been thinking at all. Until yesterday, she had always thought Nagare was just another Tengu brat that was too ashamed to strut about in his true form. He had been nothing but a weakling, lucky that she had ever taken notice of him.

Her tail could move. Not that well, but it was better than nothing. She slapped the spade end against the head of the dripping mass bearing down on her. Rows of fangs twisted in a malicious smile as his bulging eyes popped out of his misshapen head on slimy stalks.

“I still remember my first taste. I was so curious and you were passed out, defenseless. Of course I had to neutralize the other boys. Takada would have never let me touch you.”

She could not even lift her hands to stop him as he pushed her down on the floor. She roped her tail about his torso, but he was too massive now. Even giving more length, she could not hope to squeeze the guy into submission. Slimy remnants of his arms pinned her shoulders down as a putrid tongue licked across her chin.

“It was hard to make Mother understand how I had to come to Yokai. I could not tell her about you. I could never tell her how much I needed to be with you. How my body could no longer be without you.”

He was slithering down her body. Her skirt flipped up and she felt those sticky things on her hips. She tensed up as she felt the tug on her panties, the fabric scooting across her thighs to her knees.

“She should be in there, Moka.”

Yukari! Her heart twisted. It had all been for nothing. The suffering. The humiliation.

“Company?”

He laughed maniacally.

“You did taste sweeter the first time. Perhaps being watched enhances your flavor.”

Leaving her panties at her ankles, he started to draw away from her.

“Please!”

She tried to lash her tail against him, but he ignored it. He oozed over to the door, brushing against the lock. She could hear the bolt release as a new gout of thick air flooded the room. She was not the only one coughing.

“Stand back, Moka!”

“What's going on? My body feels so heavy.”

Nagare pushed open the door and chortled with glee.

“What a lovely treat! I wonder if you taste as good as my beloved Kurumu!”

No.

There was a sharp pain in her ear, but she ignored it. Her body ached, but she managed to roll onto her side. She drew her knee up and then the other. Taking a deep breath, she got up on her feet.

“What? I don't understand.”

“Moka! How did you change?!”

“Lilith's Eye!”

The pain was fading from her body. She turned about, taking note of the situation. Nagare had Moka pinned, but it was not the Moka she knew. The silver haired demon was struggling against the cackling slug beast. He was still pumping out that gas of his, though it did not appear to have the same debilitating impact on the vampire. It looked like his only advantage was having her on her back and being so massive that she could not find her footing.

Yukari stood further back, making hand gestures.

“That won't work, Yukari! You have to stop Kurumu!”

Yukari thrust her hands forward at the slithering Nagare, but nothing happened. She frowned.

“Wait. What?!”

Kurumu stepped out of the storage room, regarding Nagare. How had she let something so small dominate her? She grabbed one of his eye stalks that had noticed her. The eye only had a moment of surprise before she tore it free from his body.

Nagare screamed in pain, sweeping an arm at her. She stepped out of its path as Nagare twisted. Lifting a foot, she kicked at his side, causing Nagare to pitch to the side.

It was all the opening Moka needed to scramble away from the howling boy. The vampire eyed her warily, her body poised for a fight. She was not worth Kurumu's attention.

“You are going to tell me where our things are.”

Nagare forced a laugh amid his cries. He pumped out more noxious gas, the air turning black around him.

“My dear beloved. Why do you still defy me?”

It was pointless. He could not hurt her more than he already had. Her mind would not allow it.

She shot a fist out, smashing through his fangs. Teeth shattered and she gripped his tongue. Squeezing her fist, she yanked back hard, the slimy offensive muscle yielding to her desire. Blood and spit splattered her uniform as she held up her prize, dropping it at her feet.

Nagare rolled back, fat appendages covering his mouth as blood oozed and spilled from what remained of his mouth. His body twitched as his remaining eye pressed tightly to his head. It met her gaze.

“You will tell me where our things are.”

“Yukari, you have to stop her.”

“There’s something weird about the energy here. It’s not real. I have to recalculate.”

“This is Lilith's Eye. She will kill us all!”

Kurumu turned to the silver haired demon. This Moka was trembling. Fear? Why?

There was no power. She realized that now. The presence of fear, dread, power… none of that emanated from this Moka. Her eyes lowered to the rosary dangling from the black choker about Moka's throat. The seal remained.

“Why would I kill Yukari?”

“What is Lilith's Eye? I've never heard of such a thing.”

“Because the succubi are powerful enough as is. You think my mother would allow such a power to become common knowledge?”

Kurumu tilted her head, intrigued and annoyed.

“You will tell me all you know about my kind.”

Moka shifted her weight, her fists up.

“Let us out, Kurumu. This is too dangerous.”

Kurumu had no idea what Moka was talking about, or why she was even here. She only wanted one thing right now. Turning her attention back to Nagare, she realized the whimpering boy had been crawling away. How annoying. It would be better if he could not move at all.

Nagare shrieked out as the ground rose up about him. The dirt undulated upwards and reformed, sharpening into spears. These weapons pierced down, tearing through Nagare's flesh to pin him in place.

“Illusions?”

“No. Much worse.”

“There's no magic that can twist the ground like that and the succubi are not known for control over dirt. It has to be illusion.”

“Don't argue with me, Yukari. We have to stop her.”

Why did they even care? She still had to find their things.

Kurumu walked over to the sobbing Nagare. He was oozing blood from everywhere. She did not want to kneel down. With a gesture, the ground lifted the trapped boy up to her level. She was enjoying this convenience. It felt like she could do anything she wanted. The world yielded to her desires.

Her hand snaked out to grip what she believed was his throat. His breath was ragged as his remaining eye stalk trembled.

“You will tell me where are things are.”

He garbled out something unintelligible. She knew he wanted to speak.

“You will show me.”

Instantly the four of them were inside the film club room. He lifted his arm to point at the desk where Sangi and Yamabato had pieced together the memory drive with the pictures. Placed next to the computer was a laptop and some other things. Her schoolbag was on the floor.

“Good boy.”

They were back in the courtyard, only now the sky was black and a bulging red moon hung in the sky. The air was cold and a thin layer of snow covered the ground.

“Pesh. Mershe. Pesh.”

“Yes, I did beg.”

She tightened her grip on his throat.

“Yukari, stop her!”

“Why? He deserves to die.”

Kurumu smiled. That cold, childish response felt vindicating.

“Fine, I'll save him.”

Kurumu bristled at the remark. She cast the boy aside. She did not need to use her hands. As he fell to the icy ground, she remembered her thoughts about the convenience of the courtyard. The surface parted before he struck bottom, the boy making a strangled cry as he fell further. With a thought, she closed the ground up.

The vampire looked beyond her, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Kurumu… you'll never forgive yourself if he dies.”

Kurumu walked towards the vampire, annoyed with the sentiment. This demon had threatened to kill her. There was no reason to preach the higher road.

“You would be surprised with what a person can live with.”

Kurumu smiled as Moka darted forward. There was no power, no fear, no dread. She held up her hands, inviting the attack as she knew it could not hurt her. It would even be weaker than the hits the other Moka landed.

She turned her face as the fist connected with her cheek. Her eyes watered, but not from pain. She was disappointed. She heard the labored pants of Moka, standing within arms' reach. Forcing a smile, she looked up.

“Thinking it would have been better to kill me from the start?”

Moka flinched, staring at her with shock.

“No… I…”

Kurumu reached up to touch Moka's cheek, but the vampire recoiled back a step.

“You once said I only knew control. But you only know violence. How can you break what is already broken?”

“Kurumu!”

She turned about and staggered as the little witch threw herself upon her. Little arms snaked around her torso, squeezing tight. She could not tell if this was an attack or a hug. It would be much more convenient if the girl was closer to her size.

“What are you doing? You're too little.”

There was a slight pop as Yukari's body elongated. She became heavier, but Kurumu backed up and pushed on the girl for space. The startled witch must have realized her legs were longer as she regained her own footing.

“My bra broke.”

Kurumu smiled, noting the girl's grip had gone lax. She had borrowed the profile of Yukari's mother, whom she had seen in the photograph last week. The result was a slender, young woman almost Moka's height. As for the chest, well… Yukari had remarked about wanting a pair like Moka's.

“Oh my God, she can do this?!”

Yukari backed away a step, pointedly taking the moment to appreciate her new assets.

“They're so soft!”

“I'm sorry, Kurumu. It's me, isn't it?”

Kurumu scowled, wondering what exactly she would have to do to drive this vampire away. But she was starting to feel very tired. Yukari's impromptu hug had broken up what little adrenaline she had been running on. Moka wanted her to let them out, but where were they? What was going on? She felt so tired.

She was pulled roughly back. She turned and was inexplicably swept up in the vampire's embrace. Her eyes were having trouble to focus as Moka's face pressed in. Lips touched hers.

She mewled in protest at first. But Moka did not cease. The vampire pulled her in closer, moving her head slightly, lips parted. Her tongue moved awkwardly about hers. It was confusing, warm and welcome. Kurumu relaxed her body, draping an arm over Moka's shoulder while the other gripped her side.

And she was lying on the floor, feeling light headed. Her head pounded furiously. She glanced aside, noting the spade end of her tail closing next to her left ear. A large puddle of sticky blood had pooled about her head and shoulders. Her hair was matted and her clothes stained. There was so much crimson. A human would have died.

“Is he dead?”

“I don't think so. What happened?”

She did not feel like she could move. She felt exhausted. Her throat was dry.

“It was awesome! Kurumu was total badass! Because I hugged her, she gave me a pair of amazing knockers! And then you planted the sexiest kiss I have ever seen on her!”

“What are you talking about? I didn't kiss Kurumu!”

She heard excited footsteps drawing near. Yukari bounded into view, her eyes sparkling. The little girl looked her over, her expression quickly changing to concern. She knelt down beside her, timidly touching her shoulders.

“That's a lot of blood.”

She looked over her shoulder.

“Moka. Get some help. She's hurt badly.”

Kurumu dimly heard the sound of Moka's retreat. She breathed in shallow, her heart fluttering. She closed her eyes.

Hot breath tickled her cheek.

“I'll slip those panties back on for you.”

* * *

Yukari pushed open her door and motioned for Kurumu to join her. Kurumu smiled as she stepped into the girl’s suite, bending down to loosen the laces of her shoes. She heard the door close and the light flipped on.

Despite how long of a day it had been, she still had this pounding headache. She had been out for a couple hours before waking to the smell of food. As the infirmary had been locked up, Morioka had used a gym towel to wipe away all the blood. As she had not been bleeding they had settled on letting her rest up in the corner of the computer lab. As Tsukune had little else to do, they had left him in charge of watching over her.

After all that fuss about her doing her own article, they ended up doing most of it for her. They were nearly finished when she had regained consciousness. Being the only one familiar with the film club room, since Yukari had never seen it before and Moka did not remember anything from the courtyard, they had waited for her to wake up before they could recover Zukkutani’s things and the memory drive with the photos for her article. Of course they had been kind enough to let her eat the delivery ramen Morioka had ordered for the group before rushing her off on the task.

After retrieving the lost items, it had only taken a couple hours of arranging graphics and photos to come up with a layout Morioka felt good enough to release. Pleased he had invited the group for a leisure outing which ended up being mostly time wasted at the arcade trying to best Tsukune. Naturally they had stopped at the dorms first, allowing her to change out of her bloodied uniform.

She got the impression that they had left Nagare in the courtyard. Without any faculty around, Moka’s sympathetic nature had been denied by Yukari’s pragmatic perspective. Moka could not deny the likelihood of the boy attacking them again. As far as Kurumu knew, he was still twitching and frothing at the mouth in the courtyard.

Zukkutani Kana seemed like a nice girl. As a reward for finding her stolen electronics, the artist had spent a good hour of their Mononoke time drawing up a portrait of Kurumu. Though often quiet, she would readily engage in talk about her drawings and her hopes for the paper. She really got along well with Moka, which was nice, considering she lived on the same floor in room sixteen directly below Kurumu.

Instead of treating them all to dinner as she playfully suggested, Morioka had adjourned the club activity and sent them all home. They had decided to eat at the dining hall together, but Zukkutani had left for the dorms, stating her need to do some catch up work after her weeks of absence. While she did not have any official homework yet, she planned to sit down with Yochimaru and do their best at being prepared for the inevitable overload.

Nothing important had been discussed over dinner. Yamabato and the rest of the boys from Tsukune’s floor had joined them before they finished and had given them all a good laugh. They let Yamabato know about the completion of the paper and he extended the offer to help with the pictures of any future projects. He had not mentioned Nagare at all.

It seemed like the whole group had not made the connection. She had not volunteered the name of her courtyard attacker, writing the altercation off as accidentally stumbling across the thief. Short of the maniac trying to find some new way to get at her… no, it felt like this was over. He had to realize how close she had come to killing him. He would not come back.

Having hung up her hat next to her cape on the pegs near the door, Yukari quickly discarded her shoes. Hopping up from the foyer, she started across the room.

“Do you want a drink? I have juice.”

Kurumu shook her head, feeling like she had drank too much already. She had taken Yukari’s invitation to come over after dinner, not really thinking about her restroom needs. She had not made a bathroom break since they had left the school.

As Yukari walked out of sight through the far door, Kurumu wandered about the small kitchen. Despite the remarks of hosting the group for dinner here last night, the place was immaculate. There were no dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter. Only the absence of dust suggested these counters were used.

She heard the flush of the tank followed by the running of a faucet. Yukari came out of her small bathroom, walking purposefully over to the other door. She opened it up and stepped into a small closet.

“I’m going to use your bathroom, okay?”

“Sure. But flush and wash your hands.”

“Yea…”

She hurried over to the open door and slipped inside the tiny room. She pulled the door shut and lifted the lid with her other hand. She literally could touch the door as she sat down on the toilet. It was tiny.

She sighed as the sound of tinkling greeted her. There was a wall mounted sink on her left, which was also within reach. Across from her was a shower stall. It looked like the opaque door swung towards her.

Finished up, she padded herself dry and flushed the toilet. After a quick rinse of her hands in the sink, she dried her hands on her tee shirt before stepping back out into the room.

Yukari was lying on the cerulean blanket stretched across her full size bed. Her legs dangled over the side as she held an envelope in her hands. She turned it about as she glanced aside.

“You left this in my bag by mistake.”

She set the envelope down beside her, folding her hands on her stomach.

Kurumu sighed as she walked over. She had not thought to check her schoolbag when she had recovered it from the film club. She had assumed the envelope with the last of her pictures had still been inside. A mixture of feelings hit her as she picked up the envelope. She was relieved that she had found them, considering how panicked she would have been upon realizing they were not in her bag at home.

“So… you knew?”

“Sort of. I didn’t see that till after everyone had left last night. Yamabato had mentioned you being with a Kano Nagare, whom I concluded to be the one that took those pictures.”

Kurumu sat on the bed, holding the envelope in her lap. This little thing had caused so much trouble.

“That must be pictures from your Junior High. Recent?”

“Christmas.”

Yukari drummed her fingers on her bare stomach, her shirt having drawn up in her current state.

“Will you be okay?”

“I think so.”

“Good. I don’t want to hug you right now.”

Kurumu shook her head, amused as she set the envelope aside. She placed her hand down on the bed and twisted, looking down upon the prone girl.

“You had no problem hugging me earlier.”

“That was some weird thing you were doing. Imaginary hugs don’t count.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Oh? You seemed real excited about that imaginary kiss.”

“Do you think we could do that again?”

“What?”

“That thing you did. Lilith’s eye.”

“Why would I want to do that?”

Yukari grinned mischievously. She grabbed her flat chest.

“Many reasons. I’m curious. Was it a generic thought of me being older or a thought of me looking like someone?”

Kurumu smiled, gesturing to the desk in the corner.

“I saw the picture of your mother.”

“My Mom doesn’t have breasts like that. I was easily twice her size.”

“I was thinking of Moka too.”

The little girl nodded. She absently fondled her chest.

“… … … … … … Can we do it again?”

Kurumu laughed.

“You’re such a creep.”

“I barely had time to enjoy myself before it ended.”

Kurumu sighed, amazed with this girl. For an eleven year old, she was exceedingly perverse. Kurumu had not been that sexually curious until after her charm ability had manifested a little more than two years ago. The constant bullying over being a whore had kind of killed earlier interest.

“You want me to use my Lilith’s whatever so you can play with yourself.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed if you played with me.”

“What?”

“It’s like a dream. It’s not real, so it doesn’t count.”

Kurumu frowned. She was still trying to figure out why the girl was open to being her plaything that she was not ready for these leaps in logic.

“But we both remember what happened. That’s not the same as something not happening.”

“It’s not real, Kurumu. You can do anything you want with anyone. Even Tsukune.”

Wait. Was that allowed? More importantly, was that safe?

“Are you sure that’s not dangerous?”

“That might be a question you need to ask the other Moka. That talent of yours is not officially documented. It borders on the rumors of a succubus having the powers to create illusions, but that was not illusion. That was… immersive. More like a dream world you could control. If I had been in it long enough, I might have figured out how to make my magic work in there.”

Kurumu nodded. It still troubled her that the Moka in that world had been the crimson eyed devil she disliked.

“But don’t get your hopes up too high. Moka is smart, but I don’t believe she will be that much better versed on your kind. She looked scared of you when there was not much reason for her to be.”

“Well… we don’t exactly get along.”

“I think that kiss she planted on you states otherwise.”

Kurumu placed her hand on the side of her head, annoyed with the persistent ache. Her head had been so fuzzy when Moka had kissed her. She knew it had felt better than any of the kisses she had shared with Takada, which was sad. You would think the most popular boy in school would have possessed more brag worthy pucker practices. She could only blame her charm so much.

“I don’t even know how I did it, and I don’t think Moka will appreciate having her seal removed for a bit of Q&A.”

Yukari lifted up a hand and made a gesture.

“Let me see your tail.”

“Huh?”

“Your tail. I noticed it was resting near your head on the other side of the blood pool.”

Glancing over her shoulder, Kurumu eased her tail out. She fluffed up her skirt, letting the spade slip over her palm and gripping it below. She moved the end over as she let more of her tail out to coil upon the sheet.

Pointing at the tip, Yukari pointed at her head.

“I think you shoved that in your ear.”

Kurumu laughed.

“Don’t be silly. I can’t fit this…”

With a thought she split the ends open. The four symmetrical petals parted to reveal the stigma in the center. It was stained dark red. She smile softly. Her mother’s only warning was not to play with it.

“Okay. Here’s the deal. I allow you to make Tsukune a lunch with my stove. I will even assist in buying the ingredients. On the condition, that you allow me to dream date Tsukune.”

“What?”

“And with that body you gave me. Tsukune would be all freaked out if he starts thinking he’s dreaming of dating an eleven year old.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Yukari. Besides, I’m not going to help you date my boyfriend.”

Yukari thrust up a finger.

“First, the results of your dream world might be different if the occupants are sleeping. If you can somehow bring a sleeping Tsukune into your trance, he probably won’t be able to distinguish it as anything but a weird dream.”

“Wouldn’t that also apply to you?”

“As we are talking about it, I think I will know the difference.”

Kurumu smirked, shaking her head.

“Second, you are fussing over a dream and I am offering a reality. Tangible results are always preferable to intangible musings.”

Kurumu shrugged as the girl lifted a third digit.

“Third, I am aware that you will have to be present. Naturally you will act as my chaperone to ensure dream Tsukune doesn’t take advantage of me.”

Kurumu sighed again, flopping back on the bed. She doubted Yukari was joking around, but this was ridiculous. Even if she wanted to entertain the girls’ crazy suggestion, her splitting headache did not set the mood to jab anything in her ear tonight. Still the notion that she could visit Tsukune in his dreams was tempting. A dream would bypass all the physical dangers she had been concerned with.

“Fourth, you are more than welcome to join in.”

“Hold up, you horny devil. I haven’t agreed to anything.”

“But you would be doing me a great service. It is much safer for me to experience these things in a dream state than to resort to real world experimentation.”

She had a feeling that if she protested this further it would result in more confusing rationalizations. She was too tired for this. She sat up and pushed herself off the bed onto her feet.

“I think I need to sleep.”

Yukari groaned.

“I don’t want to get up.”

“Your door locks itself when I close it, right?”

“I have to set the deadbolt.”

Kurumu shrugged as she picked up the envelope. She turned it over in her hands and dropped it on Yukari’s belly.

“Thanks, Yukari.”

“I don’t want your dirty pictures.”

Kurumu waved dismissively as she shuffled over to the front entrance to put on her shoes. She knew she could leave those things with Yukari. The girl would probably regard them as informational.

“They’re not even that good. I’ve seen much better poses online.”

Nevermind.


	29. What's in a Name?

Exiting the stairway, Kurumu walked by the small elevator lobby intent on Moka’s door. After a long rest and a refreshing morning shower, her head no longer felt like something was trying to break free. She was running about five minutes later than she would like, considering how troublesome Moka could be at times, but she had not counted on Touzoku’s ambush of grateful hugs for her part in rescuing Yochimaru. Apparently Yochimaru and Itazura were fellow Junior High classmates of the energetic girl. Also it turned out that Yochimaru was the quiet next door neighbor she had never seen, for obvious reasons.

“Ms. Kurono!”

She paused, the back of her fist shy of connecting with Moka’s door. Zukkutani was wrapped up in a peach towel, holding a faded blue shower caddy in one hand as she waved. Her hair was dripping all about as she approached.

“Are you here for Ms. Akashiya?”

“Yea… I’m not here every day, but often enough.”

She held up a hand.

“Let me get dressed. I’ll join you.”

The girl hurried off, slipping into her room. Kurumu knocked on Moka’s door, figuring she would be lucky to get Moka out of bed before Zukkutani was dressed. Giving her full attention to the door, she knocked louder.

“Come on, Moka. You have that alarm set way too late.”

She had never given it much thought as to whom had reported the two Fukui girls missing. She had assumed the faculty had noticed something. Realizing the cheerful, optimistic Touzoku had filed the report had surprised her. She had been close to breaking down in tears.

She took a deep breath, forcing the threatening tightness to subside. She had to stop thinking about it. Act natural. If you pour enough sand into a jar of coal, eventually it will look like a jar full of sand.

“Open up already.”

A groan answered her demand. She could hear some shifting about and then the room returned to silence.

“I’m serious, Moka. Seven for an alarm when you need to be in class at eight, is not smart. At least give yourself fifteen more minutes.”

Something hit the floor hard. Another groan followed and then some shuffling. She heard the bolt being drawn back. Moka stifled a yawn with the back of her hand as she pulled the door open.

“But… it’s not… six forty five.”

Kurumu shook her head as she walked in. She rubbed her thumb upon the strap between her breasts, her other hand touching the bottom of her schoolbag. Her shoes dangled upon the bag, tied about the strap by their laces. She glanced about the room, noting the haphazard sheets on the floor and the huge grinning bear propped up in the chair by the desk.

“That’s not the point. It’s not like we can talk during class. What’s more important: sleep or time with Tsukune?”

Moka groaned as she shuffled by her. The vampire yanked open the closet door and pulled her shirt up over her head. Pausing to yawn, she dropped the shirt at her feet.

“Tsukune doesn’t get to breakfast before seven.”

This was true. While Tsukune had an alarm set for six thirty, he probably hit the snooze once or twice before actually getting up for his shower. She had a feeling that he used to rely on his mother to wake him, so he was still adjusting to this responsibility.

As Moka slipped on a new bra, Kurumu noted the dangling rosary.

“I don’t recall if anyone has said anything about a little witch spying on you through your rosary.”

Moka grabbed up a dress shirt, sliding her right arm into a sleeve before doing the same to the other.

“Tsukune mentioned it during the picnic.”

“And have you said anything to her?”

Moka shrugged as she buttoned up the shirt.

“It hasn’t felt important and she hasn’t complained about it.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“I like Yukari. But she’s a real pervert when it comes to you, Moka. She’s not going to complain.”

Moka straightened her jacket before bending down to shed her panties.

“I didn’t mean Yukari. I meant her. Besides, she’s assured me that this enchantment is fairly limited in its view.”

Moka did a little hop and twist as she pulled up a new pair of panties. Turning to face Kurumu, the vampire pressed a hand to her rosary with her finger pointed straight out.

“She can only see straight. When I bend over, she doesn’t see down. Since the rosary swings out, she still sees this way.”

Moka demonstrated a slight bend with her hand in place.

“Basically she can tell where I am, and have an idea what I’m doing, but she can’t really see me. At all.”

Kurumu frowned as Moka turned back to the closet to retrieve a skirt.

“She seemed to have a good play by play of your fight with Ms. Ishigami.”

“Well… that’s how she explained it to me, and she thinks it’s fine to leave things be. I doubt she would voluntarily allow Yukari to do this if she could… well… see things… like when I bathe.”

Flush, Moka turned about and started gathering up her sheets. A timid knock behind her heralded the arrival of Zukkutani. Scooting back to the door, Kurumu pulled it open and offered a slight wave to the girl. Wearing the sweater uniform option, their new club member looked only a little more endowed than Tora.

“Morning, Ms. Akashiya.”

The vampire lifted the sheets off the ground and stowed them away.

“Morning, Kana.”

“So how did the study session go last night?”

Zukkutani smiled, regarding her.

“Hopefully well. Riku invited her friends over, though neither of them share teachers with us. Touzoku is from Class 1-1 and Itazura is from Class 1-10.”

Seeing that Moka was finished, Kurumu wandered out into the hall to give the vampire space to gather up her essentials.

“I found out Yochimaru is the neighbor I never got around to meeting.”

“Yea, I realized you two would be neighbors last night. I feel silly that it didn’t cross my mind yesterday.”

“Well, things were kind of hectic.”

They paused in the hallway, waiting for Moka to lock up her door. She could hear multiple showers running and noted a couple girls milling about. There was no activity from either of Moka’s immediate neighbors.

“Speaking of neighbors, have you ever met yours?”

“I’ve spoken with them both.”

After locking her door, Moka gestured to 512 before turning about.

“Ms. Endo and her neighbor Ms. Matsuri are from the same Junior High in the Shibata District near Uchinokura Lake. Ms. Matsudera from the track team is their classmate.”

Kurumu nodded, having been told of the Junior High by the lake. She eased her way back to the elevator lobby, noticing Zukkutani had pushed the button. Glancing at her watch, it did look like they would be too late to try to catch Tora. They could always join the girl in the dining hall.

“There’s another girl they usually hang out with, Ms. Sugimoto, whom I guess got put on the fourth floor by mistake. I’m sure you’ve seen the three of them walking to school together at least once. Ms. Endo is kind of hard to miss as she keeps letting her neck stretch too much when she talks.”

Kurumu shrugged, not having any particular memory of a girl with a stretching neck. Was there a monster that did that? It sounded like a useless ability.

“I’m surprised with the honorifics. Not friendly enough for first names?”

Moka stuck her tongue out.

“I only spoke with those two once. I do have manners.”

“It is endearing being called by your first name.”

“I’m just giving her a hard time. It’s Kana, right?”

“Yes. That would be with the Ka from the kanji excellent and the Na from nara. I often wished they had just used the kana for my name.”

“Yea… kana is easier. My mother graced me with the mantle of dream barbarian. I must have kicked her womb too many times to end up with that.”

“I didn’t know that. You always write yours in the kana.”

As the elevator door opened, Kurumu glanced at Moka. She noted Natsudera was in the car with a shorter girl that had long hair that stretched almost further down than her skirt. Natsudera glanced aside, notably agitated. The other vaguely familiar girl smiled. Kurumu stepped inside the small compartment a second behind Zukkutani.

“I’m sure the teachers are smart enough to figure it out. It’s not like anyone else in our class would use the kana for Kurumu.”

“Morning, Ms. Natsudera.”

“Morning, Ms. Akashiya.”

The other girl tilted her head and smiled.

“Morning, Ms. Akashiya. Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu was starting to wonder how much of a reputation they had built up when she realized this girls lips had not moved.

“I don’t think we’ve met. Is this a friend of yours, Natsudera?”

The girl bowed slightly. As she continued to speak in her soft voice, it was apparent by the slight rustle of her silky strands that the sound emanated from the back of her head.

“I am Akushita Natsume, from Class 1-5. Sayuri and I went to the same school. I saw you when you were speaking with those girls in my class.”

That was Ms. Zaiten’s homeroom. This was the girl that had been sitting in the front row near the door.

“She’s talks like Ms. Matsuri.”

The girl straightened up, a slight frown on her thin lips. Moka held up her hands, smiling.

“Not that that’s a bad thing… I’m sorry.”

“She doesn’t like her other voice. I keep telling her she’s going to have to get used to using the normal one, but she’s stubborn.”

The girl turned and pressed her hand to her chest.

“Ms. Tomarigi prefers my singing this way.”

Kurumu smiled, recalling that her reluctant lab partner had joined the choir with Chousei. It was eerie hearing the sibilant voice from Akushita, much like that time she had visited Ms. Sasayaki. Or rather, exactly like it. The whole experience had been so odd.

“Hey… Moka. Was this like your interview with Ms. Sasayaki?”

The girl smiled as the elevator came to a stop at the third floor.

“Oh. I was confused with her earlier remark. You mean that I’m a futakuchi.”

“You’re not supposed to be saying that stuff, Natsume.”

The girl waved her hand dismissively as the doors slowly opened.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if the whole school knows about their true forms. I see no harm in sharing mine.”

Natsudera grimaced, absently touching her neck.

“Excuse us.”

The trio of girls from the third floor scooted their way into the elevator. The three busty brunettes all had the same pinkish eyes and fluffy hair with only slight differences in the shade. Moka would know Irewata, but the other two were in Kurumu’s home economics class at station sixteen. Hazumi was on the track team while Meisai had joined the volleyball team with Irewata. The three hailed from some small village near Mt. Myoko in the Myoko District.

There was a brief round of greetings and introductions, which Kurumu paid little mind. It was groups like this that made Moka seem tall. While everyone here was way taller than Kurumu, only Hazumi was taller than Moka. If Moka had stood with the track team girls, she would have been average height.

Her mind wandered back to kanji spellings, recalling that Moka’s used the Ka from incense. The other kanji was a gardening term, like about to blossom. It was not something she would imagine a vampire would think to use for her baby, but what did she really know about vampires. Moka’s mother could have a strong passion for flowers as a hobby.

It was a short ride to the ground floor. Irewata was first to slip out before the doors fully opened. The other bouncy girls followed suit which finally gave them some breathing room. Meisai giggled as Hazumi pounced on the short Irewata, tousling her hair.

Kurumu followed after Moka, casting a glance over her shoulder.

“So whereabouts did you two go to school together? The three of us are out of prefecture, so I’m a bit curious.”

Natsudera tucked a stray hair about the back of her ear.

“We’re from Niigata. Our school was tucked away up in the mountains near the Hayade River in Gosen.”

“Gosen? Would this be the same school as Kinzoku and Sakamori?”

Natsudera made a face.

“Yea… we know that girl.”

Akushita covered her lips, though her giggle was not the least bit muffled.

“We all thought Hinoko would quit after Junior High. She’s fun on occasion, but not very smart.”

As they neared the front entrance, Kurumu sat down on the lip and freed her shoes from her bag strap. The other girls wandered to their shoe lockers.

“Kinzoku is one of the other girls that went missing, right?”

Kurumu nodded at Zukkutani’s inquiry, slipping on the first of her shoes.

“She did, but Hinoko was the first to notice. Sad really. Umeki and Ishiko are cousins. I don’t know what that girl is doing.”

Natsudera snorted as she shut her locker.

“If we hear something explode in the science labs, good guess would be her.”

As she laced up her other shoe, Kurumu nodded as Moka sat down beside her.

“Ishiko?”

“Fukai Ishiko. Another troublemaker. A scatterbrain that mixes up her words.”

“Oh. That’s my neighbor in 618.”

Kurumu stood up and waited a few seconds for the other girls to finish with their shoes. Grinning she eased over to the door for the sensor to pick up her card. The fan kicked on as she waited.

“I noticed you don’t use your locker, Kurumu. Or the cubbies at school for that matter.”

Kurumu shrugged as she started down the path a little ahead.

“If it happens to rain, I’ll bring my slippers to school.”

“She’s lucky the school is lax about those type of things.”

“I had a bad experience in my Junior High with shoe lockers, so I haven’t used one in more than a year.”

“You use the locker for gym.”

Kurumu laughed.

“If someone got the bright idea to ruin my gym things, I’d have an excuse not to participate.”

“Speaking of gym, did anything important happen on Friday? I know Ms. Hoshineru was talking about assigning teams for the next couple weeks.”

Natsudera waved Moka’s concerns off.

“She’s naming the six she feels we should use, but it’s still up to us to decide on our team.”

Kurumu snorted.

“More like whom Hiboshi wants to play with. All of you listen to her.”

“She’s competitive and better at serving than Irewata, whom happens to be on the volleyball team.”

“Irewata only joined the team a couple weeks ago and clearly because Meisai planned to. Arashimideru is arguably our best player.”

“True, but she’s not interested in being a captain.”

Kurumu had no argument there. She shrugged, gesturing to Moka.

“Were you interested on being on the team?”

“It could be fun.”

Kurumu supposed that playing the game could be more interesting than sitting on the sidelines. But after skipping out on two practice sessions and being the second shortest girl in class, she doubted she could convince Hiboshi to let her on the court. It did mean she would have some time to speak with Genzouyaki, which would not be so bad.

“Were you two planning to eat with us?”

Natsudera shrugged.

“It’s not like I planned to eat with anyone else.”

“What about Chousei?”

“If I see her, I’ll ditch you guys.”

Akushita giggled.

“Ms. Chousei usually eats with her friend, Ms. Utachi. We often join them.”

Natsudera face turned flush, fiddling with the hair behind her ear as she looked away.

“Well… we’re all in choir. It’s not that strange. I see your club always eating together.”

Kurumu grinned.

“It’s not strange. If anything’s odd, it would be our club. I think every single one of us is out of prefecture.”

She paused.

“Yea… all of us are.”

Zukkutani laughed.

“Is that true? I didn’t get around to asking the others.”

“Moka’s from Tokyo and our fearless leader is from Kobe. Tora is out of Osaka and Tsukune is from Yamagata.”

“That is an odd bunch. Akiko’s also from Niigata. Some small community in the Ojiya District. I think she said Kawai, right?”

“About you or her home?”

Akushita giggled at Natsudera’s flustered reaction.

“It’s not like you would know the area anyways.”

“I think Kurumu is still in interview mode. Asking people where they were from was part of her questionnaire to the track team.”

It was sort of true, though Kurumu had become interested in the feeder schools ever since hearing that Yokai was this important prefectural school. Through the track team she had picked up over a dozen school locations, though she did not know Niigata well enough to know where these districts were. She was tempted to see if the library had a map.

“Is the choir all girls?”

“Uh… yea.”

Kurumu shrugged, glancing at Moka.

“You know Morioka would be up for that.”

“We should see how your first article fares before planning the next.”

It was just a little after seven when they walked through the doors of the dining hall. Kurumu felt the biggest factor on why the lines moved much faster for breakfast was how students sort of showed up whenever they could. Some would be here as early as the opening of the doors at six fifteen.

As forewarned, Natsudera did spy Chousei at one of the tables they walked by. After the few minutes of waiting in line and selecting their meals, the choir girl duo said their farewells and departed. Kurumu felt a little better about her lab partner, but she did not foresee a first name basis anywhere on the horizon. She honestly did not remember it.

They did find Tora halfway finished with her meal and in the company of the foreigner. Taking their seats, they exchanged brief introductions of Deshi with Zukkutani, explaining her supervisory role over their club.

“So she will be reviewing our paper before we publish it?”

Tora nodded.

“We will be giving copies of our paper to three entities. Senior will be printing off our first set this morning before classes. As Ms. Nekonome is our advisor, I will give her a copy for the faculty to review. The other we shall leave with Ms. Deshi for the student police.”

“It sounds like you will have to be running along soon.”

“Indeed. The last copy I will present to Mr. Kaneshiro, our student council president. I hope to be able to do this today, though he tends to be a busy man and difficult to pin down for a meeting. I would prefer him to hold an official vote with the council’s officers on the approval of our paper.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“You managed to get his approval for your little survey the other week.”

“Yes, his approval, but not the whole council’s approval.”

Tora picked at what remained on her tray, not likely to finish.

“I could not tell if he was amused or annoyed with how I handled that.”

Deshi giggled.

“I hurt then. Sad to miss. Sounded fun.”

Tora sighed, getting up from her seat and putting her schoolbag on.

“With any luck, we could start printing these papers at the end of the day.”

Kurumu planted her elbow on the table, resting her cheek in her palm as she regarded the raven haired girl.

“Hey, Tora. We were talking about the spelling of names earlier. Is yours any different than tiger?”

Tora smirked.

“I noticed you don’t write yours in kanji. Too hard?”

Kurumu waved the girl off, not caring to explain her reasons. Tora strolled about the table, placing her fingertip on Kurumu’s card that rested next to her tray. The nail was right below her name.

“I’ll see you in class, lazy barbarian.”

* * *

The bell had rung and her classmates were either busy gathering up their things or hustling out the doors. Having learned a third of the students had gym before lunch, Kurumu had stopped caring for this mad scramble. It would be a twenty minute wait regardless of how much effort she put into getting to the lunch line.

Getting up, she held her hand out to Tsukune, but Moka snatched it up instead. Not that disappointed, Kurumu tugged the vampire in the direction of the open back door. Genzouyaki was stretching luxuriantly beside her desk.

Using the time between classes, Kurumu had convinced Nerume into having a lunch with Moka and Tsukune. The girl had passed the word along to Unari and Kakeru, so there was a chance she might finally meet the Goto girl.

Thinking of names, they had not talked a whole lot with Tsukune during breakfast. He had joined their table after seven twenty and had to spend most of that time wolfing down his food. She had prompted Tsukune about his name but he had no solid answer on why he ended up with his name. He did know that his name shared the same kanji as Kamitsuku. They both used the month or moon character, despite the different choice of pronunciation.

“Are they meeting us here?”

Nerume stifled a yawn, nodding. Lethargically she gestured to the hall.

“Chisa will find Tama and then we can go.”

She paused, offering Tsukune a wave.

“I’m sure Satsuki will be here-“

“What about me?”

Unari stepped through the door inquisitively. Kurumu grinned, letting go of Moka’s hand to gesture to Tsukune.

“I don’t believe you’ve met my boyfriend.”

“He’s not your boyfriend!”

Kurumu waved off the reflexive response, pleased that Tsukune was not rushing for a similar denial.

“I know who he is. We waiting on the giants?”

Nerume grinned.

“They’re not giants. Aono Tsukune, this is Unari Satsuki, my classmate from Junior High.”

“Is that Satsuki as in the kanji for swamp?”

The girl eyed Moka with slight concern.

“Where did that come from?”

“Just some conversations we were having this morning.”

Unari shrugged, handing over her ID card to Moka.

“So… we still on with that Sakamori girl?”

Kurumu paused for a moment, not recalling immediately what this was about.

“Isn’t this Utsoboki?”

“It’s the On reading.”

“Oh. Oh right.”

Moka handed back Unari’s card as Kurumu finally remembered the girl’s curiosity about drinking.

“I don’t see Sakamori until sixth period. I haven’t had a chance to talk with her about that.”

“Soft and precious.”

Unari’s cheeks flushed. Her ear tufts wagged agitatedly.

“Can we start walking? I’m sure those two can find us.”

Nerume leaned in to give Unari a side hug.

“But you are soft and precious.”

Distressed, Unari placed a hand on top of Nerume’s head and pulled on her offset ponytail.

“Don’t you start.”

Kurumu laughed, gesturing at Nerume as she reluctantly released her friend.

“I would guess yours would be the kanji for sleep.”

“Sort of. It’s lie down and bud. I was told my mother spent a lot of time in bed when carrying me so the name was more about her than me.”

“You seem to be trying your best to live up to your name.”

“Mother and I are night mares. School does not have the best hours for me.”

“Night mares?”

Kurumu smiled, patting him on the arm.

“You know what a Kirin is, right? The night mare is a special breed of that.”

“So… you’re a horse?”

Nerume grinned and held her hands up with her palms and fingers down in the custom ghost haunting pose.

“Yes and I breathe fire and the ground shatters beneath my hooves as I bear down upon unwary travelers on dark, starless nights.”

She cocked her head and grinned, dropping her hands to her sides.

“Find me some pumpkins and a willing Nukekubi and we could have some real fun riding about the night.”

“There you go with your Ichabod Crane nonsense. Nobody here has read that American Folktale.”

Kurumu frowned, not understanding the reference at all. Kubi was neck and Moka had mentioned a girl that had her neck stretch.

“What’s a Nukekubi?”

“A person that can detach their head. The story my mother told me used the term dullahan, which might be more familiar.”

It was not, but Kurumu would never claim to be the most versed in monster lore. Then again, the thought of a headless school girl riding a miniature black pony did not give this fearsome image in her mind. She covered her smirk as Kakeru arrived with another tall girl in tow.

This grayish brown haired girl, presumably Goto, was notably shorter than Kakeru though she was much taller than Moka. Her hair was shaved short about the ear on her right side but the left hung well past her shoulder. The exposed ear was decked out with a row of gold and silver rings. What tresses could not be flipped over to the left were clipped in place with silver clasps. Instead of letting her hair fall down in the back, the girl had balled it up and pinned it with a gold spire.

Unlike Kakeru’s thin, statuesque visage, Goto had broader features. Her long nose flared out wide at the bottom with an emerald stud in her left nostril. Her lips were full and she grinned with confidence. Her rich brown eyes brimmed with enthusiasm. She promptly placed a hand on Unari’s head and tousled the girl’s locks.

“Satsuki, what’s up?!”

Unari grimaced, gesturing up at the girl.

“This is Goto Tama from Class 1-11. And since someone is bound to ask, it’s the kanji for jewel.”

“Doing names? Sweet. Let’s start with miss popular vampire over here.”

Unari turned about in Goto’s palm and pushed the girl back to the hall.

“We need to start moving. I’m hungry.”

Tsukune and Nerume chuckled as the group meandered out into the hallway. Moka started up a quick round of introductions with the girl, taking the liberty of introducing Tsukune and Kurumu. After going over their names, Moka and Goto started down the stairs slightly ahead of the rest of them.

With Moka summarily engaged, Kurumu prodded Tsukune for his hand. He looked about nervously, settling on placing his hand on the small of her back.

“Chisa’s name is written in the hiragana. I’m sure her parents didn’t want to use the kanji for bird seed. Besides, the whole reverse strokes of similar characters looks prettier.”

Not caring much for his timid response, Kurumu bounded by Kakeru to be next to Unari for the rest of the way down the stairs.

“These two are both from the Mogami District in Yamagata. Genzouyaki told Kakeru about coming to Yokai, so these two came to keep her company.”

Moka smiled.

“I didn’t ask, but are you two from Niigata?”

“No. Satsuki and I are from a Junior High in the Semboku District of Akita.”

“Why did you decide on Yokai? Isn’t there a school in Akita?”

Unari groaned as they reached the end of the stairs. She gestured at the long line with dismay. Walking to the end of the throng, she pointed at Nerume.

“I don’t know about her, but my mother wanted me to come here. She was all psyched up about me learning from her little sister.”

“Your aunt is a teacher here?”

“My aunt is Ms. Nekonome. Of course she told my whole class this and then she had her usual true form slip, right before lunch. My first day was hell.”

Kurumu frowned, noting Kakeru was tentatively reaching out for Unari’s head.

“Is there an issue with nekomusunes?”

Unari held her hands up in frustration.

“Only everybody thinking that they suddenly are allowed to pet you. I don’t get it.”

Perhaps sensing Kakeru’s intent, Unari pounced to the back of the line ahead of Moka and Goto. The agitated girl thrust her finger at the tall girls.

“And these two are just as bad.”

Goto grinned, pointedly dropping a palm on Unari’s head and tousling her hair once more.

“You’re totally fussing over this more than you should. And your hair is impossible to mess up. I’m jealous.”

Kurumu had noticed that Unari’s fine sienna locks were well behaved. She had dismissed it mostly because how short her hair was, but there should have been some impact from Goto’s antics. As Goto removed her hand a second time, it honestly looked like she had not even touched the girl.

“So… Nerume. Are you related to someone here?”

The yawning girl shook her head slowly.

“My mother wanted me to come to Yokai because she was a student here. Apparently Ms. Nekonome was her classmate, along with Shirayuki’s mother.”

“Shirayuki? That’s the girl that sits between us?”

“Mhm. I wonder.”

She paused, realizing Shirayuki was another out of prefecture student. The girl has also skipped almost the entirety of the first week of school. Kurumu had never seen the girl speak with anyone outside of what was necessary to function in class.

“Do you guys think she eats her lunch with anyone?”

“I haven’t seen her with anyone. What do you think, Ms. Akashiya?”

“I honestly wouldn’t know. Tsukune?”

Kurumu was not surprised with him shrugging. Those two would not be aware of a girl that barely participated in class.

“I have her in home economics. I’ll ask her.”

“I would think she would be eating with her friends.”

“She’s out of prefecture, Tsukune. If anything I picked up from doing my article, it’s that we are a minority.”

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“I didn’t say you shouldn’t ask. It’s just… being out of prefecture doesn’t mean you end up alone. These four are all out of prefecture.”

“But they came together. Shirayuki is from Hokkaido. I doubt there will be any other students from there.”

“Umizake is from Hokkaido. Maybe he knows her.”

Kurumu paused for a moment, rolling the name in her head. That was the guy from Tsukune’s floor that had joined the PSC because he thought it would not be demanding. Obviously he was not eating lunch with Shirayuki.

“Doubtful.”

“There’s also the club she joined. We eat together.”

Shirayuki had been badgered into joining the drama club by Sakamori. She doubted Shirayuki left class to hang out with that silly drunk.

“I can’t imagine her being that close with her club.”

“That doesn’t mean she isn’t.”

“Are you worried about me asking her to eat with us?”

“No, not really. It’s just… I think you’re worried over nothing. I wouldn’t say Kamitsuku is close with his club, but I doubt he avoids them.”

He had been the first to mention Nagare, though not directly by name. She wondered if that meant he did spend lunches with the film club. Uchiyama was a good guy, and it was not like she had a bad opinion about the other quiet kid that helped on Friday.

“Yea, but Yamabato probably eats with the guys from your floor.”

“Dinner and breakfast, sure. Lunch… I don’t know. Maybe. You can’t really tell how people are connected around here. I only found out last week that Aku grew up with Tamaishi, from our class.”

Kurumu smirked, glad that Tsukune was getting to know his neighbors more. She would have never guessed Tanboshi knew Burumoto’s soccer buddy. She had never seen the two together, considering Tamaishi was always hanging around the rest of the soccer team. Tanboshi was part of the Judo team, so there was a good chance he spent his lunch with those guys.

“Is Yamabato out of prefecture like us?”

“No. I can’t recall where he said he was from, but he’s the only guy. The rest of his classmates that came here are all girls, so he tries to keep his distance.”

“Why would he do that?”

Tsukune shrugged.

“I suppose I could ask Kamitsuku, though that seems a little pushy.”

“Why would that be pushy? He’s your friend.”

“That seems like I would be intruding in his personal affairs. There’s no good reason for me to know why.”

“You don’t need a good reason to be interested in your friends.”

“I suppose.”

“Do you think I’m being pushy?”

He chuckled.

“I know you’re being pushy. When haven’t you been?”

“I think I’ve shown much restraint with you.”

“That’s different. I guess I mean… well… even now.”

He gestured to the other girls. Goto and Nerume were talking with Unari while Kakeru stood silently nearby. Moka was smiling as she watched the group’s antics, but made no attempts to engage in the conversation. Goto was talking about how her fashion club would love to borrow Unari and that the flush girl should bow out of that silly poetry club she had joined.

“If we were to invite Shirayuki, would it be any different for her? It’s awkward trying to force your way into a group of friends.”

She sort of understood the issue. A month had already passed. Most students would have settled into a comfortable pattern. Some would be making bonds with the clubs they had joined. Some would be sticking with the familiar faces from their Junior High. And there were a few whom were content sitting in the classroom the whole lunch hour, eating a homemade lunch by herself.

“Do you think Zukkutani should stick to eating with her friends from Fukui?”

“Hmm? Oh, her. Uh… well she did say that she shared her fourth period of gym with Yochimaru. It would make sense for her.”

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make a few more friends though. It’s not like you or Moka can come to my rescue whenever I need you to.”

“What?”

She smiled, pushing on his shoulder. She noticed they were getting pretty close to the end of the hall. She pushed her way around Kakeru and tugged on Goto’s loose, rolled up sleeve.

“So there’s a fashion club in Yokai?”

“Absolutely. This could hardly be a high school if it did not have a club dedicated to the study of current trends of beauty and popularity.”

“So what do you guys do?”

“They probably lounge about and chat about boys and makeup.”

“It’s not a gossip club, kitten. Everyone in the club has to have a current subscription to at least two different fashion magazines.”

Kurumu grimaced, not interested in adding such expenses to her mother.

“We discuss the different things we pick up.”

“That’s it?”

Goto laughed brightly.

“What else would there be? We’re not the sewing club.”

“They have a club for sewing?”

“They have a club for acupuncture.”

Kurumu shrugged. She was a little disappointed she had not participated in the club fair. It was not like it had taken her that long to return the container to Ms. Hitori. At that time she had wanted to avoid attention, leaving the whole club finding task in Tsukune’s hands.

As they reached the official starting point of the serving line, Kurumu gestured to Moka.

“Did you make any plans for tomorrow?”

“Uh… no.”

“Okay. Tsukune and I were talking about things we could do for your birthday. Do you have any preferences?”

“Hold up. Akashiya’s birthday is tomorrow?”

Moka blushed at Nerume’s remark.

“Yes. It’s tomorrow.”

“You didn’t mention this when asking about our birthdays this weekend.”

“I thought I did.”

Nerume covered her mouth as she glanced between the girls.

“Would it be okay if we did something?”

“Did you come up with anything, Tsukune?”

“Well… we said we might do something in the club. I talked with Morioka about it when we were doing Yukari’s article, and he thought that was a good idea.”

“Moka?”

The vampire was touching her breast, a slight smile on her lips.

“I don’t really know what to say. I… never had a birthday away from family.”

Nerume reached out to grab Moka by the arm.

“I know, it’s weird. Mine’s close enough to the end of the term that I can probably just wait for summer break. But Satsuki here has hers in the middle of June.”

Goto laughed.

“Mine is during the break. Good thing about being born in the middle of August is you never have school to deal with. Just the weather.”

“I did mention it to Kamitsuku this morning as we headed out of the dorms. We kicked around a few ideas, though I wanted to hear what Moka thought before deciding on anything.”

“You should surprise her.”

“Well… maybe. How would you feel about a bunch of guys from my floor singing you Happy Birthday in the dining hall?”

Kurumu snorted a laugh. She saw that Kakeru and Unari were grabbing their lunch trays. Unari was keeping an eye on them, either interested in the conversation or keeping her head safe from Goto. Possibly both.

“I would think anyone would be mortified by that.”

“I was thinking that too, but Kamitsuku thought it would be fun.”

“Maybe for you guys.”

Goto laughed. She fetched her tray from the stack and gestured for Nerume to go ahead of her. Nerume smiled, slipping in front to catch up with Unari.

After a slight pause that ended with Moka grabbing her tray, the flush vampire nodded.

“I guess if I was in your room, it would be fine.”

Kurumu shook her head, making an X with her forearms.

“Nope, no boys’ dorm on your birthday!”

She pointedly slipped in to grab her tray before Tsukune.

“Though I was thinking we might try a sleepover.”

“You mean that idea of staying over at Yukari’s place?”

“Yes, Tsukune. I’m going to have Moka all to myself.”

Unari huffed as she started off with her tray to the registers.

“You can count me out of that. I’m not spending the night with that brat.”

“You don’t have to be like that, Satsuki.”

Nerume followed after the girl, pausing for her friend to swipe her card at the register.

“That little girl is mean spirited. Did you hear what she did to Hineri?”

Kurumu had made her usual selections of rice and bread, but added a cup of soup and some chicken bits. That hearty meal put together by the student police had inspired her to try eating a little more. Besides, it was not like Tsukune would notice if she gained an extra gram or two.

“A sleepover might be fun if we had the rest of the club.”

“No boys. Sorry, Tsukune.”

Kurumu headed over to the registers on Moka’s heels. Goto was checking out and the other three were hanging nearby.

“Yea… But we should invite Tora and Kana.”

“I’m sure they would come.”

“Um… would any of you like to come?”

Goto swiped her card and turned about with a smile.

“To a sleepover? I shouldn’t.”

“You’re showing unusual restraint.”

Goto grinned, tousling Unari’s hair again.

“Oh, what’s this I hear? Are you being catty with me?”

Nerume smiled, tilting her head.

“I would, but it wouldn’t feel right without Satsuki.”

“Fine, I could go, but not if these two are.”

“I’ve already declined. I’m not going to take a birthday party invitation from a girl I just met today.”

Goto favored them with a broad grin.

“Though I wouldn’t mind if you want to share another lunch. This one keeps ducking out on us, which makes Chisa sad.”

“Oh, I don’t mind… really.”

“I drag her off to eat with the other girls from my club, but she doesn’t talk that much. At least when she’s hanging around these two she smiles.”

As Kurumu swiped her card for her lunch, she had to wonder if Goto’s claim was true. Kakeru rarely smiled. She honestly could not recall a single time while dining with these two and certainly not in gym.

“Were we going to join Yukari?”

Kurumu shook her head.

“I will ask if she wants to host that sleepover after we eat. So are we good with this, Moka?”

“Sure.”

“Just knock on my door if you want me to come along tomorrow. I don’t know where Yukari lives.”

Balancing her tray in one hand, Goto gestured about the bustling cafeteria.

“So where should we eat?”

Kurumu chuckled. That was a good question and the dilemma of arriving too late in the lunch line.

“Does anyone object to the courtyard?”

Hearing no immediate rejection, Kurumu walked for the line of glass doors beyond the far hallway. Off to her left she spied Burumoto and Tamaishi chowing away with what she imagined was the rest of the soccer team. There was more than a dozen boys, some more familiar than others. It was probably a mix of all grades as she doubted there would be that many freshmen.

The red haired Yougan was with a bunch of tall guys, presumably the rest of the basketball team. Ikazuchi was trading jests with his classmate, though he was at the next table with his own group of boys. She honestly did not recall which team that would be, as he did seem the sort to be in an athletic club.

Naturally she did not see any of the track girls. The seniors had their own hideaway in one of the vacant rooms near the computer lab, while the rest were split up in their own groups, doing their own things.

There was at least one notable group of girls in the cafeteria, though the tennis club had just as many boys seated with them. Hiboshi was among their number with one of her lackeys from their floor. Arashimideru also happened to be in this group, though she was her natural detached self. Irewata was absent, probably eating with her volleyball friends.

As she reached the hallway, she glanced over her shoulder.

“You know… I haven’t had a single person claim to be from the city.”

“I’m from the city.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, quite aware that Tsukune, Moka and even Morioka were from cities.

“Not you guys. I meant everyone else. Like not a single person I spoke with was from Niigata, the city.”

Nerume shrugged.

“Well, I heard that Niigata has its own high school.”

“But I thought Yokai is the prefectural school.”

Unari shook her head. Kurumu lingered at the door, curious.

“Yokai is… well… like experimental?”

Goto laughed.

“Yokai boasts to be the best chance you can get if you want to go to college and get a job with the humans. Not only will you learn how to live with humans, but you also take a special class your third year to prepare for their standardized college entrance exam.”

Kurumu had her doubts on how well this school was teaching her in regards to living with humans. Shaking her head, she pushed open the door and headed out into the courtyard.

“Couldn’t the other high schools do that?”

“How would I know? What Goto said is pretty much the same song and dance Shoudo Academy was giving for Akita.”

“I don’t even know if there were other high schools in Akita. We lived in the same district as Shoudo, so everyone that was planning to go to high school was going to be there.”

After walking out a bit, Kurumu decided to kneel down and set her tray on the ground. There were benches here and there, but half were occupied and none would allow their large group to sit close together. Nerume took the cue and quickly sat down next to her.

“I’m sure if you ask a teacher, they might be able to explain things better. Are you still doing those sessions with Ms. Kagome?”

Kurumu managed a smile as she pulled back the lid of her soup cup.

“Yea… you slept through the part where she harassed me over skipping out the past couple school days. That woman forgets that I have club duties.”

Kurumu noted that everyone had sat down and was a little disappointed. At a table she did not mind sitting across from him, but there was a pretty good gap between them. Of course he had not failed to sit next to Moka. The quiet Kakeru sat on his other side.

After gulping down some of her hot soup like it was a drink, and instantly regretting that act, she turned to Goto whom sat on her right side. She had to pause and wait for the burn to subside before speaking.

“So what’s your opinion on Tsukune?”

The tall girl chuckled as Tsukune flinched.

“I would say intimidated. He is the only guy here.”

“We haven’t talked about anything that would intimidate him.”

Goto offered a shrug as she turned her attention to her food.

“He’s an improvement over the guy you were hanging around with on Saturday.”

Kurumu’s mood soured with Unari’s remark. Blowing across the top of her soup cup, she took a smaller sip.

“Well… he was never good around girls.”

“Who are we talking about?”

“Nobody important, Tsukune.”

She glanced over at Nerume and Unari.

“Nobody worth talking about.”

* * *

Kurumu envied Shirayuki’s ability to be interested in this lecture. It was not difficult to cook or to understand the need to maintain a clean kitchen. She imagined the only reason why they did not cook something every day was because the pantry could only hold so much and there were roughly a hundred girls split between these two classes. This random discourse over proper knife handling and cutting techniques was Ms. Hitori’s way of filling time.

They had taken too much time for lunch, forcing her to hold off on her talk with Yukari until after science class. Mr. Hakuru’s pointless insistence to hold his lecture in the lab had resulted in her making a mad dash to catch the little witch before she headed off to her computer class. This had failed rather miserably with her having to go all the way to the computer lab, but at least she had secured the witch’s approval for the sleepover. It was not like Ms. Hitori would fuss over her tardiness.

Meirowasa looked remarkably authoritative in that student police jacket. This did not deter Shindou from fiddling with Meirowasa’s collar and hair. Though annoyed, Meirowasa was likely counting her blessings that Sakamori was not giving her additional trouble.

“Hey, Tokori. What class do you have next?”

“Japanese.”

“What was gym like?”

Confused, Meirowasa regarded Shindou.

“Like gym. What else…”

“Were you on the team? For your class. How did you guys do?”

“Oh. Yea, I was. And we won, though I don’t think Umatobi’s class cared.”

Shindou’s eyes crackled with white sparks.

“I’m so excited about some real competition. It was getting boring with all the rules and rudimentary stuff.”

Kurumu had been hearing Meirowasa’s first name quite a bit lately, though Shindou saying it was new. When she had did the interviews last week, she had picked up Asuka’s and Yuu’s name properly. Hinoko had volunteered hers, which was a mix of readings for scarlet and leftover.

“Meirowasa. How do you spell Tokori? We never asked.”

“My mother gave me the name because it snowed the day before. The overhang of our front door has a way of collecting icicles. She thought it was pretty.”

Shindou grinned.

“So you’re a winter child?”

“Early January. What about the two of you? You didn’t volunteer the spelling for yours.”

“My mother used the kanji for dream and barbarian.”

“Barbarian, eh? Isn’t that also used for long lived?”

Kurumu shrugged, honestly not caring. Most kids had never asked her name, let alone cared how it was written. The few that did had mocked her over being a barbarian. Her mother might have mentioned it, but it did not change things.

“What about you, Shirayuki?”

The girl glanced over, touching the end of the white stick in her mouth.

“Hmm?”

“Your first name. How is that written?”

“Hiragana.”

“Well that was disappointing.”

Kurumu shrugged at Shindou’s remark, not really expecting a long answer from Shirayuki. It was Mitsuri, right? Mizune? Somebody should ask for the girl’s name as Kurumu was feeling bad about not remembering it.

“Hey, I don’t know if you saw the board, but you have cleanup duties today.”

“Hmm?”

“You and Ikazuchi, the blondish white haired kid that sits in the desk in front of me.”

Shirayuki nodded. Kurumu sighed. It was difficult carrying a conversation with this girl. She had been lucky the girl had talked about her family and hometown last Monday.

“You wouldn’t happen to know an Umizake?”

“Hmm?”

“Some guy I kind of know. I heard he was from Hokkaido.”

Shirayuki shrugged, turning her attention back to her notebook.

“Do you eat lunch with Sakamori?”

Shirayuki shook her head.

“Yuu and I usually pair up with those two from your class. You know, Tobuyoku and Hanetsume. There’s a couple more girls that are friends with those two that join us.”

“I thought those two didn’t know each other before coming to Yokai.”

“They didn’t. Honda is Tobuyoku’s friend while Dangai is Hanetsume’s. Those two ended up in class eleven.”

“What about you, Sakamori? You’re usually talking about Senjo. Does that mean you eat your lunch with your club?”

The oddly quiet Sakamori was holding her silver flask up, looking at the open end with dismay. Realizing their attention, she grinned.

“Senjo? Wha abow Senjo?”

“I’m pretty sure you mentioned eating breakfast with her. Lunch too?”

“Oh, yesh. We all big groo and ea owside.”

“Is Kinzoku okay? I know she didn’t come see our club president over the weekend.”

“Oh, she fine. Came schoo wid us thish mornin.”

Decisively, Kurumu reached over and pulled the unsteady redhead over. The girl stumbled, but gained some semblance of balance as she wrapped her arms about Kurumu's shoulders. She giggled, holding the flask up near Kurumu's face and shaking it to reveal its emptiness.

“That's good. I was a little worried that Kinzoku was going to stay away.”

“So the rumor is your club found the girls last week.”

“Yea, the whole affair will be a big article in our paper.”

“It was kind of fun having Ms. Nekonome for a day. She tried to explain about Ms. Hitori's absence, but the twins kind of ruined all that.”

Kurumu smiled, recalling how chatty the mermaids had been about Ms. Hitori's involvement in their rescue. Thankfully the girls had not said a word about Ms. Ishigami.

“You shmell nish.”

Kurumu leaned her hip against the counter to help with the girl's shift in weight. She patted the mess of curls hovering by her cheek.

“You need to fill that up soon?”

“No. I'sh good fer now.”

Kurumu snatched the flask away from the girl, and handed it over to Shindou. Sakamori started to blubber a protest.

“Fill this in the sink, please.”

“Trying to sober the girl up with water?”

“It wouldn't work. This girl turns water into sake.”

Shindou frowned as she wandered over to the sink.

“Seriously?”

Meirowasa nodded, turning about to regard them.

“One of the restaurants in town employs a shojo. It's a cheap way of making liquor, though I hear it's not as potent as some of the real brands.”

Shindou turned on the faucet and held the flask in the stream.

“I was talking with some friends of Kakeru and we were thinking of borrowing this troublemaker for a bit of experimentation. Since one of them lives next to you, I was wondering if you might be interested.”

Shindou cut off the water once it spilled over the rim. She screwed the top back on and headed the flask over to the expectant Sakamori. The girl glanced over at her tall friend, whom shook her head.

“What sort of experimentation are we talking about?”

“Asuka.”

“I know, I know. If it's that… we shouldn't.”

Kurumu staggered a bit as the redhead shifted to fiddle with the flask. Sakamori lifted up her blouse and tucked it into the hem of her skirt. Giggling, she nestled up against Kurumu's right breast.

“Besides, it would feel wrong using that silly girl for that.”

A little surprised with the decline, Kurumu stuck her tongue out at the girl.

“It was just a thought they had. I'm not going to force Sakamori to do anything, and I doubt Kakeru wants to anyways. It was her friends toying with the idea.”

“You wan drin wif me? Ish fun.”

Ms. Hitori cleared her throat loudly.

“And for all those that are still listening, that is all I have to say for today's class. You may freely talk among yourselves or head to your next class. Please be quiet in the halls as there are other students diligently working to improve themselves.”

The volume of chatter from other stations increased. Kurumu prodded Sakamori to loosen the grip, resorting to snatching up Shirayuki's notebook to swat the silly redhead's curls.

“Come on. We should head to gym.”

“Aww. Gymsh borin”

Shindou laughed as she started for the back door.

“I feel sorry for your team, Yuu.”

“It's not like she would be picked.”

“What are you going to do, Tokori?”

Meirowasa was embarrassed at Shindou using her name so freely. The girl slung her schoolbag over her head, letting it settle on the strap.

“I'll just sit at my desk. There's nobody in the class right now.”

Shindou and Taijin slipped through the trio of girls at station sixteen whom were lingering near the doorway. Meisai exchanged a final word with Hazumi before the girl walked out the door. The other girl, Shinayaka, had soft white curls that gently touched the swell of her ample bosom. When she had interviewed Hazumi for the track team, she had picked up that the other two were both in class six and on the volleyball team.

Kurumu gestured for Shirayuki to come along.

“I will see you tomorrow, Meirowasa.”

“I hope your paper does well.”

Kurumu nodded, walking by the two volleyball girls. She paused long enough to ensure her lab partners were on their way. Smiling she slipped out of the room and hurried down the hall to catch the first two.

“So what's with calling her Tokori now?”

“Huh? Am I not supposed to?”

“Asuka still feels guilty about making light of Meirowasa's friend.”

“It's not like I'm at fault for what happened.”

“You don't talk a whole lot in class, Taijin.”

“We weren't supposed to be talking.”

“Yea… but even when we are cooking and stuff, you kind of sit back and let Shindou do all the talking.”

“Yuu has always been like that since the second grade. It's because she never has anything interesting to say.”

“We're supposed to be quiet in the hall.”

“Oh, please. There's nobody in this science lab and nobody will bitch about us being loud in the cafeteria.”

Kurumu chuckled as they reached the end of the hall. She paused once again, confirming Sakamori and Shirayuki were progressing in this direction. Satisfied, she caught back up to the pair and listened to Shindou's playful antics as they strolled along the empty serving line.

“Hey, you are in Shirayuki's class, right?”

“Yea.”

“What's going on with that girl? She ditched the last two gym classes.”

“Well… she's heat sensitive so she doesn't participate.”

“I get that, but didn't you notice she left the gym. It's not like it gets that hot inside the gym that being outside is preferable.”

Kurumu frowned. She had not been here on Thursday, and had not really noticed Shirayuki on Friday. There had been more important things on her mind. But it did sound odd for Shirayuki to go outside. It was not like there was ever that good of a breeze on campus.

“Honestly… I don't understand that girl. It worries me.”

“How so?”

“Well… she just admitted to not eating with her club. She's also not from Niigata, so I can't imagine her having anyone else.”

Shindou shrugged.

“She's a loner. It's not that unusual. She has this cold demeanor that would scare anyone off from trying to be close. Like Yuu.”

Taijin smacked the back of Shindou's head.

“You know it's true.”

Kurumu smiled as they reached the end of the cafeteria. She could hear the squeaking sounds of shoes on the floor and the thuds of balls bouncing. Following the pair through the door, she could see the girls from the sixth period of gym working hard at this silly game.

“I don't know. I kind of feel like I should do something.”

“You should.”

Shindou grinned as she pointed to one of the nearby games. Aori with her soft blue pigtail tufts was hustling about the court, bumping a ball in the air. A girl with orchid locks eased under the ball, pushing it up high in a lazy arc near the net. Another huge girl with long, glowing spectral hair that defied all laws of gravity, hopped up to intercept the ball. It was not the best spike but it was good enough to evade the diving attempt of a busty girl on the opposing team.

“That's class eleven. So glad we don't play them. They are huge.”

Kurumu nodded. Goto was on the court but was only the third tallest. Other than Aori, none of these were track girls. She had to wonder what clubs these other big girls were part of.

“The short one is Dangai.”

The shortest one on the court was about Moka's height. Maybe taller. The brunette slapped hands with the orchid haired girl as Aori moved to serve. She had seen the orchid girl on her floor a couple times.

“Who are these girls?”

“Purple there is Zenpyou Manako. And that beast of a girl is Honemoto Misao. They're both top twenty students like Akashiya and Asakira.”

Kurumu wondered if this should be common information. She had not made a point to figure out whom the smartest kids in school were. She kind of knew four of them already, with Moka actually being the last placed of those. She had not realized that Kagome's class rep, Asakira, was also in the top.

Ms. Hoshineru noticed them and gestured for them to move along. Touching Shindou on the shoulder, Kurumu nodded and started down the sidelines. She glanced over the girls hanging out near the game, spying her tiny neighbor among them. Fukai was the shortest of her class, so she was hard to miss. She still had those goofy glasses with the thick band about her tiny head.

She recognized a couple juniors from the track team, but honestly could not give the names. These were girls Tora had interviewed for her on Friday. There were also a couple girls from her floor that she knew by face. She knew the Takeuchi twins from her floor, but that had only been one random, passing conversation a week or so ago. Judging by the nearby sidelines, that hyper pair was in the same class as Dakuhime, the little shower singer.

After some dawdling, Kurumu found her way into the locker room. She smiled as Shindou poked her side before turning down her row of lockers with Taijin. Passing a couple more rows, Kurumu approached her locker and sighed.

It felt like it had been ages ago. Kurumu spun the dial for her lock, wondering why she even bothered with this thing. These things were easy to break and would not stop anyone that really wanted to get to her things. She opened the small door and regarded her gym clothes.

As she pulled her sweater over her head, she knew she should be happy. She doubted he would ever look through that window again. He would realize her ability to detect him and that she would never tolerate it. She unbuttoned her blouse, slipping free of the sleeves before hanging the garment and sweater on the spare hanger.

She unhooked the clasps in the front, feeling the cool air against the skin that was slightly agitated by the elastic band. Tossing the lingerie aside, she pulled out the plain white sports bra that rested on her gym shoes. She pulled it over her head and tucked her breasts snugly into the undersized cups. She really needed to order something larger. This was looking more like a push up bra, and her girls did not need pushed up. She imagined this was more around Moka's size.

She slipped her gym shirt off the other hanger and quickly pulled it over her head. Tugging it down over her torso, she brushed up her hair with her hands and made sure her ribbon was still in place. She had almost given this precious memento away. That had been a foolish gesture. Satisfied, she loosened her skirt.

“Hey, Kurumu!”

She had just set aside her skirt and grabbed her shorts when she heard Shindou plod around the corner.

“They have the teams posted on the coaches' door.”

Kurumu grabbed her gym shoes, setting her normal shoes inside the locker and arranging everything before closing it up and locking it. She felt nothing, so it should be good. She managed a smile as she pushed thoughts of him aside.

“Come on. We're also playing today, so-”

Kurumu turned as the girl touched her shoulder. She immediately realized her mistake, bringing the back of her hand up to rub away the moisture that had crept from the corners of her eyes.

“Oh. I'm sorry.”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head.

“It's nothing. Just got something in my eye.”

“Probably an eyelash. You do have some long lashes. Are those natural?”

Kurumu managed a giggle as she flapped out her shorts. Bending over, she guided her foot through one hole and then did the other.

“Yuu cried last Thursday because she broke her bra taking it off. It was so funny. She was worried about how she could go to her last class when it was obvious she could just wear her sports bra.”

Kurumu shook her head as she pulled the elastic band over her waist. She tugged in a couple places to smooth out the creases.

“She’s so lucky to have a friend like you.”

Shindou grabbed her hand and tugged. The girl was clearly intent on taking her to where the teams were posted.

“I know, right. It was adorable. If she wasn’t so tall, I’m sure any guy would have melted at the sight of her tears.”

The girl pulled her by the showers into the weight room. She pointed at the door where a list of names had been posted. Three sheets were taped side by side, each sheet having the teams for the four classes of each grade. Below these three sheets was another one that had a two week schedule of matches.

“See. Naturally I made the team because Coach recognizes my superior athletic abilities.”

Kurumu smirked. There was only about twelve girls in Shindou’s class, so there was never a doubt the girl would be picked, even if she was kind of short. Kurumu was more interested in her own class, pretty sure she would not see her name up there.

She smiled. Moka’s was.


	30. Birthday for a Vampire

“That answer is wrong, Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu stood resolutely in the classroom, facing the disappointed math teacher. The woman smacked the board with her riding crop and adjusted her glasses. Turning from the board, she snapped the crop in her palm.

“Come to the board!”

“Yes, Teacher.”

Ms. Kagome strutted over to the front row of the class, her black, leather skirt creasing with her curves. Her blouse was discarded on the podium, leaving her torso covered in that tight, laced up bodice. Yamabato and Tomisaki openly drooled.

As Kurumu made her way to the front of the class, she was aware of the bells that jingled with her step. She was barefoot with black anklets. The air was chilly because she was only clothed in crimson lace. It was such a flimsy, small garment that it did not reach her waist due to the swell of her bosom. There was nothing beneath.

As she reached the front of the class, Ms. Kagome snapped the crop in her hand again. Kurumu glanced over her class. It felt so much larger. The boys were wearing their usual uniforms. The girls were all wearing simple dresses of white satin. All regarded her expectantly.

“The answer, my dear.”

She looked at the board but it was blank.

“The answer, my dear.”

“I… I love Tsukune.”

The class laughed. Even him.

“Do you know the answer?”

Yamabato thrust his hand up eagerly.

“Teacher, show us!”

Kurumu gasped as her head was yanked by her ponytail. She glanced over at Ms. Kagome, her body trembling. The woman smirked as she reached around to grab Kurumu by the arm. With a tug, Kurumu stumbled against the woman, too frightened to resist as the teacher’s lips found hers.

She could not move. Her hands would not move. She felt her strength fading as the woman’s tongue invaded her mouth. Her mind was going blank. After what felt like an eternity, the woman lifted her lips away, hot breath tickling her face.

“Her taste is the best.”

She was thrown to the ground. The boys gathered about her as she lay prone, frozen. She stared up at them. Ikazuchi, Yougan, Izanai, Takurami. They all leered down upon her. Her body convulsed as the lumbering Hedoyami pushed in front of them all, bending down to grab her by the ankle.

“Wait! Please!”

She choked back a cry as someone’s finger pushed through her folds.

“She’s so wet, Teacher.”

“Of course, she is.”

“Tsukune! Help!”

“Don’t worry, Kurumu. I’m here.”

She relaxed, realizing Tsukune was nearby. She smiled at him, but he was not looking at her. His hand grabbed her other ankle and he pulled her leg apart from the other held by Hedoyami.

“Tsukune?”

“It’s what your body wants.”

“Moka!”

She was aware Moka had stood up and was leaving the room.

“I thought you loved Tsukune. But you could have loved anyone.”

Her eyes sought wildly for a friendly face among the lecherous gazes of the boys crowding down upon her.

“Tsukune should have nothing to do with her. She’s a bad influence.”

“I thought she was only curious about boys. I can’t be friends with a girl that does things like this.”

Tora. Nerume. They would all abandon her. Her heart caught up in her throat.

“Yes, my beloved. Just one more taste!”

She screamed as the familiar tongue of Nagare assaulted her.

She bolted up on her palms, her body burning with arousal. Taking in the familiar surroundings of her room, she sobbed as she lowered her head to the floor. Her body ached, demanding satisfaction. Frustrated, she balled her right hand into a fist and pounded the floor as she choked with tears.

She hated this. Her body should not want this. It should have never yielded to something she did not want. It was her body. Hers! Angrily, she bashed her head against the floor. When the images in her mind refused to disperse, she did it again. And again. Several times till her head throbbed and her sheet was stained with blood.

Groaning, she leaned back on her haunches. She was dressed only in her black tank top. The numbers on the clock declared she had another nine minutes before her consciousness was required. She had no desire to return to that nightmare.

She did not remember much from last night. Ms. Kagome had only allowed her enough club time to confirm that she was not needed before whisking her away to those mind numbing hypnotherapy sessions. The woman must have messed up the dose as everything was a complete blank, just as bad as it had been when they first started. She shuddered at the thought of having no control over her body. She would have to speak strongly against this.

Staggering up from bed, she shuffled over to her closet. Retrieving her shower things, she walked over to the door. She had to rinse away this arousal. While the pain in her head had helped, her nethers still throbbed with her heartbeat. It was annoying.

Flipping the deadbolt in place, she slipped out of the room. She stumbled a couple steps towards the showers when she heard a tiny gasp.

“Ms. Kurono! Are you okay?”

The grayish haired girl timidly approached her. She turned her tiny, angular head aside and stared with black, bottomless eyes. Her upturned nose twitched with concern.

“Your head is bleeding.”

Kurumu managed a smile, reaching up to brush her wound. She winced.

“Yea… I sort of fell on my face.”

Little Dakuhime’s hair was down in the morning. Those fine strands stretched past her narrow shoulders to the base of the beige towel she had wrapped about her tiny frame. Throw the girl in a yukata and she would look like a fifth grader enjoying her first summer festival.

“As long as you’re okay.”

Kurumu ran her bloodied fingers into her hair without thinking. She realized her ribbon was still tied in her hair, despite there being no band for her ponytail. The ribbon came out easily, allowing her hair to fall in place.

“Guess I slept with this on.”

The girl smiled, walking with her into the shower room.

“I hate when that happens. I wake up with such a headache.”

She had seen the girl’s braided hairstyle. It looked like her hair was thin and short enough to do such a chore daily. She had seen other girls with braids whom probably left the style in place. Tora came to mind but so did the little sprite, Chousei.

“You mentioned you were in choir, right?”

The girl paused as she opened a shower stall.

“Yes.”

“I was talking with a couple girls from my class, Natsudera and Chousei. They’re both in the choir.”

The tiny girl nodded as she lingered at the open door. Kurumu smiled, opening the adjacent stall and slipping inside.

“Well, I haven’t decided on what I will write about next, but I’m curious how many girls are in your choir.”

As she locked up her shower stall and set her things down on the floor, she heard the other door close. She tossed her towel up over the door. Confident it would not fall, she stepped up to the shower nozzle and tied her ribbon about the spout so it would not be in the way.

“I’m not sure. Maybe twenty. No. More than that. Less than thirty.”

Kurumu turned on the shower. The initial shock of cold water helped push back the last wanton vestiges of her treacherous body. She took in a deep breath as her body adjusted to the chill.

“I met Akushita already. She was nice. Would you guys be interested in an article for the choir?”

“Oh… I don’t know. That’s something you should ask Ms. Tomarigi.”

“Did you come to Yokai with any friends?”

“Yes. Did you, Ms. Kurono?”

“No, I came by myself.”

“That must be rough. I don’t know what I would do without Toshiko.”

Kurumu picked up the shampoo bottle and squirted some into her hand. She ducked her head under the stream for a couple seconds. Wetted, she worked the peach scented shampoo into her locks till she had a good lather.

“So you’re with another girl? Also in choir?”

There was a bit of shuffling about as the girl was doing her thing.

“It was her idea.”

Kurumu bent down to pick up her matching body soap and loofa. She doled some out onto her cherry red loofa and moistened it under the water. She then turned her back to the stream as she scrubbed down her arms and shoulders.

“Is it just the two of you from your Junior High?”

“No. There’s several classmates from Tsunan.”

Kurumu smiled, recalling that was where the two older track sisters were from. The senior was named dumpling.

“So a lot of your classmates from Tsunan come to Yokai.”

“Some do. Those that aren’t quitting and can’t attend a human school usually go to Mimori High in Beauty Forest of Tokamachi.”

“Mimori High? Is that a local high school?”

“It’s about the same size as Yokai, but only takes students from a few of the southern districts.”

“Why didn’t you go there?”

“I didn’t want to go to a school so close to home. Mimori is not even an hour north of home, so my mother would have kept nagging me every day.”

Kurumu leaned her head back, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair. Once she felt like the water was running clear, she leaned forward. Bending down, she soaped up her legs and thighs, careful not to agitate herself. Besides, rinsing herself down there was not very effective so less soap was better.

She smiled, recalling that Tokamachi was the district where Bikiyama and Uchikawa were from. Those two track girls were on her floor.

“I’m not familiar with Niigata, since I’m from Tottori. When people mention places, I can only nod and pretend I know what they are talking about.”

The girl laughed in her soprano voice.

“I don’t know where Tottori is. It’s somewhere in the Chugoku region.”

Kurumu giggled, supposing that was fair. It was not like her junior high taught the exact locations. She knew the prefectures and which regions they belonged to. Only natives would know the districts of their prefecture.

She had not grabbed the matching conditioner. She had no idea if that stuff actually worked, but it usually made her hair feel lighter. At least the omission meant she gained a couple minutes.

“My mother graduated from here and wanted me to follow in her footsteps. I was thrilled to get out of Tottori, though I would have preferred a human high school.”

“It’s difficult to get into human schools if you haven’t been in human schools before. Even if you pass the entrance exam, you have to prove residence. Short of your family moving, it’s not happening.”

Kurumu supposed that made sense. Feeling like she was as rinsed as she would get, she turned about a couple more times before cutting off the water. She reached up to retrieve her ribbon before grabbing her towel. She promptly dried off her torso and arms, letting her hair drip as she secured the old cloth about her bosom. Bending down she picked up the rest of her things before opening the door.

“I hope you have a lovely day, Dakuhime.”

“I hope for you too, Ms. Kurono.”

Kurumu exited the shower with a smile, wondering if the girl would start singing in her absence. Probably not, since they had taken some time. It was not like anyone needed more than ten minutes in a shower.

She slipped back into her room, hearing the buzz of her alarm. She promptly walked over to silence the redundant thing. While down on the floor, she folded and gathered up her bloodied sheets. There was little point in setting them aside to wash. It was Moka’s birthday. She did not have time to mess with laundry tonight.

After putting away her bedding, she freed herself from the towel and pitched it in her tattered hamper. She had another towel she could use for the rest of the week. Bending down, she rummaged about for a bra and the black, cotton boyshorts with the scattered white heart design.

She felt like this was a good day to wear that customized jacket she had picked up last week. She had not had an opportunity to try out the whole wing thing yet. This particular blouse underneath would tear as it was not the matching dress shirt. The real benefit was that the jacket was comfy enough for her tits even when it was buttoned up.

Fully dressed, she tidied up her closet before closing it. She retrieved her keys, shoes and card from the recess by the door. She paused, noting the little Kururu figure Tora had given her on their first Mononoke outing. She picked it up, smiling softly. She had no idea what was special about this little yellow guy with the red cap and the swirly glass eyes. Supposing it did not matter, she parted the silver ring and worked it about a loop of her bag till he was safely secured.

Turning over her wrist, she realized it was not even fifteen minutes after. This was way too early to be prodding a drowsy vampire. With her ribbon in her other hand and her moist hair still down, Kurumu left her room.

She thought about spending a few minutes with her hair, but she kind of liked the feel of her hair across the fabric of the jacket. Allowing herself to indulge in the sensation, she walked across the lobby and entered the stairway. While it was too early for Moka, she could check up on Tora. There was a good chance that girl was either already in the shower or was about to be heading for them. She grinned at the thought of pestering a nude Tora.

Going down stairs was fun and fast. Her only concern was when she felt too much jiggle, but a hand over them worked fine. She was down to the second floor without any change of breath. The floor was fairly quiet.

She wandered down the hall to room 204, quickly noting the door resting on the deadbolt. Turning about, she headed off to the showers. They had caught Tora coming back from the showers that one time, so maybe she had just missed the girl.

She turned into the showers and immediately spied the raven haired girl. Tora was fixated on the mirror while brushing out her hair. It was so much longer than Kurumu had expected, easily shoulder length. Her plush green towel was wrapped about her torso and her shower caddy rested on the countertop.

“Do not braid that.”

Tora glanced over, pausing in mid brush. Her jade eyes turned back to the mirror as she resumed her preening.

“I prefer to do so. It keeps the hair out of my eyes.”

Kurumu bounded over, grabbing the girl by her shoulders.

“Just for the day. Leave it down.”

Tora rolled her eyes.

“I suppose one day won’t hurt. Why are you here so early?”

Kurumu pressed up against Tora’s back, draping her arms over Tora’s shoulders. Thankfully they were about the same size, so it was effortless to lean her head against the girl’s head.

“I heard you were a good girl, so I came to grant you a wish.”

Tora smirked, setting her brush down.

“I wish for personal space.”

Kurumu pouted, slipping back on her heels, she cupped Tora’s upper torso. If the towel was not so thick, she might have felt something.

“Really? No desire for a bit more upper cushion?”

Tora was about to swat at her hands, but Kurumu wisely backed off. She tilted her head, appraising the shapeliness of Tora’s rump. It made her curious how her own looked, as it was not the sort of thing she could easily assess.

“If I’m not doing my hair, I would prefer to continue this in my room.”

“Catch a tiger by her tail.”

Kurumu finished the remark tapping her big toe at the top where the tanned girl’s cheeks parted. Tora squeaked, turning her rump aside as she quickly tucked the last of her things into the shower caddy. Shaking her head, she walked out into the hall with Kurumu on her heels.

“So… you’ve steadfastly declared no interest in Morioka or Tomisaki.”

“Are we talking about this again?”

“I’m curious. You’re not into girls, right?”

“This is not an appropriate discussion.”

Kurumu sighed at her serious demeanor.

“Well… not everything can be appropriate.”

They walked the rest of the way to her room without a word. Tora gestured for Kurumu to come inside as she locked up the door behind her. It was a bit odd for the girl to use the deadbolt. Tora glanced her over before making her way to the closet.

“You’ve been… clingy these past couple days. It’s strange.”

Kurumu laughed as she wandered over to the black, wooden desk. She noted there was a picture of a couple as she sat down in the matching chair. The woman had a striking resemblance to Tora, though notably older. The father was some grizzly bearded black haired man dressed in a suit with lively green eyes. He was clearly ecstatic to be holding the prim and proper woman.

“I’ve always teased you when I can.”

Tora was slipping on the dark purple bra Kurumu had suggested. The cups had enough padding that the girl would look like a genuine A cup. Technically Tora was one, but she preferred a loose band.

“Not physically.”

Kurumu glanced the girl over.

“I see you trim. Do you use scissors? I forgot to bring my pair from home and I don’t think my talons are suited for the task.”

Flush, Tora promptly pulled up the matching dark purple pair of boyshort panties over her rump. This pair was dotted with yellow stars with yellow lace about the hemline.

“You talk about the crudest things.”

“What’s crude about that?”

“I… nevermind.”

“You said your mother forced you to come here.”

Tora nodded as she pulled a skirt from her closet.

“She did.”

“Why Yokai Academy? Wasn’t there a monster school in Osaka?”

Tora shrugged as she fixed up the skirt at her waist.

“I don’t really know. It’s not like my mother attended here. She actually graduated from the school in Tokyo.”

Kurumu regarded the photograph, her thoughts mulling over what she remembered about Tora’s history.

“When Morioka commented on accents, you said you had not lived in Osaka that long.”

“That’s right. We used to live in Chofu near Tokyo. I spent most of my childhood there.”

“Why did you move?”

Tora snorted as she buttoned up her blouse.

“My mother took a different job. What other reasons could there be?”

“Oh. Yea… Well, I didn’t always live in Kengamine.”

“Kengamine? What’s that?”

She smiled, supposing she had only mentioned this to Moka and maybe Tsukune.

“It’s a small monster village in the Tottori prefecture. It’s probably four to five times the size of Mononoke. Which really isn’t that big since you can walk around most of Mononoke in an hour.”

Tora nodded, fetching her jacket from the closet.

“Anyways, the only reason why we moved from the city where I grew up was because of puberty. My wings and tail popped out and I did not understand control.”

“That would be difficult. But I was born with mine, so I have been trained to suppress my form since I was a toddler.”

“That would have been nice.”

Tora glanced about her room as she straightened the collar about the jacket. There was honestly not that much to see. The girl had a thick black comforter and her work desk. The tiny elevators prevented getting anything large into these tiny rooms. At least the boys had exterior stairwells that could allow lugging big things like sofas into their room if they wanted one.

“Yokai was recommended to my mother. I was strongly advised to attend.”

Kurumu nodded, supposing the girl did not know the full answer. Her mother’s word was the law of the household. She watched as the girl set about the task of putting away her bedding.

“So… having a human father is normal for a sphinx?”

Tora chuckled.

“Let’s just say my mother would be more approving of me having a human boyfriend than any of the ‘rabble’ I might meet here.”

“Well… Tsukune is spoken for.”

“Quite loudly. My mother is adamant about the purity of our race and keeping things under control. While there is a male version of our species, she tells me they are a nuisance to deal with. Humans are more docile and easier to cohabitate.”

Tora hefted the bedding up and carried it over to the closet. Kurumu recalled how Tsukune had been under Tora’s control after failing to answer a riddle.

“So is your father under her control?”

“Of course.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Literally? Like the way you were controlling Tsukune?”

“I find that likely.”

“That doesn’t bother you?”

“I’m not sure. It’s hard to imagine my father as anything else.”

Tora closed up the closet and moved over to her schoolbag. She pursed her lips, brushing her fingers across the strap.

“I don’t know if things would be better if he was not bound to her. But I love him. And if I was told he would not care for me or mother if he was not bound to her… well… I would prefer things to stay as they are. Why would I ever want a father that would abandon us without the bond?”

Kurumu supposed there was some logic in that. It would have been nice if her father had stayed long enough for her to have proper memories of him.

Sensing Tora was waiting for her, Kurumu got up from the desk. She still held her ribbon in her hand. Thinking she would leave her hair down as well, she opened her bag to put away her ribbon next to her brush. She noted the frog figure dangling from her bag and smiled.

“Hey, don’t you have more of these?”

“Huh?”

“From the arcade. You gave one to Moka and me.”

“Oh, those. Yea, I still have them.”

The girl wandered back over to the closet, tugging the door open.

“I was wondering if you would give Yukari and… Kana the two extra ones you had. You know… since we are the group.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

Tora stood up, opening her bag and placing them inside. She paused, pulling the blue one with the mask over its mouth out.

“I’m keeping Dororo though. Love this guy.”

She fixed the figure to her bag in the same way Kurumu had.

“Shall we be off then?”

Kurumu glanced at her watch as she wandered over to the door.

“You want to wake up Moka with me? It is her birthday.”

Tora chuckled.

“I’m aware what day it is. I suppose Ms. Deshi can manage without me for one day.”

“You two in a habit of going to breakfast together?”

“It ends up that way, though I seem to be a bit earlier than usual.”

“Because you’re not ruining your hair and were in a hurry to get dressed.”

“Well… one would dress faster when in the company of others.”

They stepped out into the hallway and Tora pointedly locked the door. Gesturing for her to proceed, Tora followed as Kurumu led the way to the stairs.

Kurumu mulled over Tora’s family situation. It sounded bad, but the girl’s logic was solid. If she knew Tsukune would not be harmed by her, the temptation of making him hers would be harder to resist. Even now with the knowledge that she could use that dream world to safely do all sorts of things with him had her heart flutter.

“You’ve never spoken of your father, Kurumu.”

“My mother discarded him when I was very young. She told me that was the best decision for everyone.”

“That is unfortunate. It must have been rough on your mother.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes as they reached the fifth floor.

“Oh, she’s managed fine. She picks up a new man every now and then to handle the finances. Her bedroom has a revolving door.”

“… that was a bit more personal than I expected.”

Kurumu sighed as she held the door open for Tora.

“I’m sorry. It bothers me to talk about my mother.”

“And yet you ask about my family life.”

Kurumu shrugged, having no response to that. She supposed she was envious? Jealous? Maybe she wanted to be vindicated over how crummy her childhood was. She needed to change subjects.

“We should go flying.”

“Huh?”

“Flying. You clearly never learned how.”

“I believe the school would have issue with us revealing our true forms.”

“That’s if we flaunt our forms on school grounds. We can pick any open field. This weekend, when we have the free time.”

Kurumu glanced at her watch, noting it was earlier than yesterday. Tora hesitated at Moka’s door, frowning.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“You’ll need a tank top or some shirt with an open back. You own one, right?”

“Yea…”

“Good.”

It was too early. Glancing down the hall, Kurumu wondered if they should fetch Zukkutani first. Decisively, Kurumu grabbed Tora by the arm and tugged her along.

“What are we doing? That was Moka’s door.”

Kurumu noted the door for 516 was closed.

“We should wake Zukkutani.”

She stopped and knocked on the door. She thought she heard a faint buzzing, prompting her to press her ear to the door. It seemed this girl was running on a six thirty alarm.

“Hey, Kana! Wake up!”

She knocked again. There was a slight rustle and a surprised gasp. Grinning, she knocked another time. More soft movement sounds and then footsteps nearing the door.

“Ms. Kurono?”

“We’re going to wake Moka now, so you need to hurry. She doesn’t shower in the morning and I was thinking it would be rude to leave you behind.”

“Right, right! Um… okay!”

Giggling, Kurumu prodded Tora to head back to Moka’s room. She placed a hand on each shoulder, deliberately walking in a cumbersome manner.

“Kurumu.”

She chuckled at Tora’s drawled protest, releasing the girl as they reached Moka’s door. She rapped the back of her left hand against the door, brushing her other fingers through Tora’s fine locks over her ear. She thought of Moka, Goto and Burumoto, aware that there was no restriction on jewelry here.

“We should get our ears pierced.”

“It’s a nuisance. The holes heal up overnight.”

“You’ll have to leave them in.”

“Have you ever had earrings? It can hurt if you sleep on them wrong.”

“I don’t know. Use tape?”

Tora shook her head as she knocked on Moka’s door.

“Moka. It’s time to get up.”

The sound of a door opening drew their attention. Zukkutani pranced out with her caddy and a towel in hand. She was clearly not trying to hide anything, though there was not that much to hide. Apparently the carpet matched the drapes. The blonde nodded meekly at them as she ducked into the shower room.

“Do you have any little scissors? I was serious before.”

“Could you not talk about that?”

“It’s a hygiene subject.”

And honestly, she kind of wanted to shave it all off. After this weekend… it felt like she should. Soap and rinse could only clean so much.

“I’ll even try a razor if you got one.”

“I suppose I could spare a disposable one.”

Kurumu grinned, reaching over to pat Tora’s head.

“You’re such a life saver. So… you shave often?”

Tora sighed, knocking on the door again.

“Moka, please. Save me.”

Kurumu giggled, leaning up against the door.

“Did you know the school store sells sandwiches and snacks?”

“Huh?”

“I was just wondering if some students gave up on that monstrous lunch line and resorted to snacking in the store.”

“They wouldn’t take your meal card. Maybe if you had other money, it would be an option.”

Kurumu shrugged, supposing that could be true. She should probably stop by during lunch and see how much of a hassle it would be to have more of her jackets and shirts fitted for her wings. If it was something he could do quickly, she could bring her whole wardrobe next Monday. Sure, her mother would gasp over that bill, but things at Yokai had been more hectic than they ever had been in Junior High.

She probably should read the letters. She had four of them now, the last one likely worried about that uniform bill. It had been a month. She had noticed her dinner balance had jumped up pretty high yesterday. Being honest, it was not like her mother had ever failed her financially.

Maybe tomorrow. Today was Moka’s birthday.

“Come on, Moka. Your door is not good at holding a conversation.”

A groan finally answered their pleas. Grinning, Kurumu pounded on the door with both of her fists.

“I’m with Tora. Wakey, wakey.”

“Let me sleep. Ugh.”

Kurumu chuckled at Moka’s piteous whine. Tora brought a hand up to cover her giggle. Kurumu rocked her wrists to drum her knuckles quickly upon the door.

“It doesn’t matter how many minutes of beauty rest you squeeze in. You’re never going to pass me, Moka.”

“Rude.”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at Tora. She heard heavy steps approaching so she backed up a step. The bolt was drawn back as Moka pulled the door open.

“It’s way too early.”

Kurumu sprung through the door to catch Moka about the torso. She squeezed tightly as she rubbed her cheek against Moka’s shoulder. Taking a deep breath, Kurumu eased back with a loose grip.

For some reason Moka was wearing a black bra under this silky, mint green camisole.

“You’re not supposed to wear a bra with this.”

Moka yawned, absently reaching up to push Kurumu back. Taking the hint, Kurumu released the vampire and retreated further into the room. At least Moka was wearing the matching lace panties. It was the first time she had seen Moka wear anything different from white.

“Happy birthday, Moka.”

Tora stepped in and offered a stiff hug. Moka perked up, tilting her head as she brushed her fingers through Tora’s hair.

“Oh, that’s nice.”

Tora laughed, stepping away. Since Moka was still toying with her hair, the brunette lifted a hand to touch Moka’s.

“Just for today. Since someone insisted.”

Moka smiled, glancing over at Kurumu.

“Happy birthday, Moka.”

Moka pressed her hand to her chest. She glanced aside, her eyes wavering.

“Thanks. I… thanks.”

Kurumu laughed, crossing her arms below her breasts.

“So does the birthday girl have any requests? We might even have enough time to give you a sponge bath if you desire.”

Tora snorted.

“You may want to dress quickly, Moka. Kurumu has been frisky today.”

Moka laughed softly. She took a deep breath and moved over to the bedding. She gestured to Kurumu as she bent down. Kurumu smiled, moving to assist with the sheets.

“You know, I’ve never been told happy birthday on my birthday.”

“Really? Didn’t that guardian of yours ever celebrate your birthday?”

“Mother always came during Golden Week. I guess he didn’t want to belittle her visit.”

Having folded the sheet thoroughly, Moka left them in Kurumu’s care. Hefting up the bedding, she wandered over as Moka opened the closet for her. Lifting up on her toes, she pushed the bedding up onto the top shelf. Thankfully whomever designed these shelves had kept short girls in mind, as it would have been a real pain getting anything from a higher shelf.

“That’s a shame.”

Kurumu regarded the contents of Moka’s closet, noting the bottles of oils and soaps that served as the vampire’s bathing substitutes. Smirking she glanced aside at Tora.

“You know, we could always bathe her at the sleepover.”

“I’m starting to wonder if you’re the one that’s into girls.”

Kurumu shrugged, backing away from the closet to lean up against the wall next to the window sill. She noted the potted plants, mildly wondering if she should get some for her room. It did not seem like it would be that much trouble to keep alive.

Not the slightest bit worried, Moka shed her camisole, bra and panties. As Moka bent over to fetch new lingerie for the day, Kurumu mildly acknowledged that Moka did not have the whole hips and rump thing going on. But more importantly, she did not recall Moka wearing those things yesterday. In fact, it looked like Moka was selecting her usual, boring things.

“Did you change underwear after school?”

“Huh?”

“You were not wearing those fancy lace things yesterday morning. I would have noticed that.”

Moka blushed as she squeezed into her white bra.

“Well… it’s weird wearing those to school.”

“Tora, a vote please. All in favor of Moka wearing sexy lingerie on her birthday, raise your hand.”

“If she’s not comfortable-“

“It’s a waste for her to change into them after school. I know you’re wearing some nice things.”

“That’s… different.”

“Moka, you must take this first step into womanhood. Trust us.”

The vampire gnawed on her lower lip as she regarded her closet.

“Well… I suppose pink would be fine.”

“Anything is better than white. For the sake of the slumber party.”

Persuaded, Moka selected a carnation pink, lace bra with matching panty. Having seen Moka’s unsealed form, clearly pink was not her natural color. She wondered if she should mention grooming tonight. It did not look like Moka was familiar with the concept.

“What should we do at the party tonight?”

“Other than bathing Moka? Not much, I imagine. Hopefully we will hear good news from the student council today, which means handing out papers tomorrow morning. We can’t stay up too late.”

“Do you guys write to your parents much? I know Tsukune has a couple times, and I think you mentioned you did.”

Moka nodded, buttoning up her blouse.

“I write at least once a week. Normally before I turn in on Sundays.”

“Do you hear back from your mother often?”

“No. That letter was the only one I have gotten from her.”

“My father and I exchange letters once a week. Since mail is only collected on the same day it is delivered… it’s difficult to have a conversation.”

“I should probably write my mother something. At least tell her about the club and all my friends here.”

“That would be the responsible thing to do.”

“Hey Moka.”

Kurumu lifted her bag and pointed at the frog figure hanging near her shoes.

“You should put yours on.”

Moka glanced over as she fixed up her skirt.

“I have mine on my keychain already.”

“You do?”

“Tora. My keys.”

Moka made a bring gesture. The brunette slinked over to the small recess. Tora turned and underhand tossed the keys over to Moka. Smiling, the vampire flipped the keys about and held up her red frog.

“See.”

Kurumu nodded. She wondered how long Moka had been doing this, but it was not like she had paid much attention to Moka’s keychain.

“Well… we’re going to have ours on our bags and Tora plans to give the other girls her spares.”

“You are?”

“It was not like I was collecting them. Since I have two spares and we have two more girls, it seemed convenient.”

Noting that Moka was nearly finished, Kurumu pushed off from the wall and started for the door.

“Is Kana finished with her shower?”

Kurumu wandered by the shrugging brunette, stepping out into the hallway. There were a couple familiar girls milling about. The large Honemoto from the other day was making her way to the showers. She wondered how she had not noticed such a big girl on Moka’s floor. Then again, she did spend most of the time in Moka’s room with only a few minutes of pestering for a door to open. Usually she was not looking about the halls.

“Should we wait at her door?”

Kurumu shrugged as Moka shut her closet. The vampire walked over to join Tora, grabbing her schoolbag and ID. Setting her keys down, she worked the silver ring about to free her frog before attaching him to her bag.

“I hope she doesn’t feel awkward coming with us tonight. She has not known us that long.”

“Yea… I was thinking we shouldn’t have Unari or Genzouyaki over. I don’t want to cause Yukari too much trouble.”

“It’s your birthday. She won’t mind.”

“Yea… but still.”

Kurumu laughed.

“It’s okay. Her apartment isn’t that much bigger, so that might be for the best anyways. At least not with everyone sleeping there.”

They all shuffled out of Moka’s room, allowing the door to lock behind them. Before they could walk to the next door, Zukkutani slipped out of her room. The girl was dressed and brightened up at the sight of them.

“Morning, everyone. Happy birthday, Ms. Akashiya.”

Moka laughed, gesturing for the girl while turning for the elevator lobby.

“Morning, Kana. And thanks.”

“Oh, Ms. Nazohashi. Your hair.”

It probably was not as much a shock to a girl that had only known Tora less than a week, but it would be notably different. Zukkutani hurried over to join them in the lobby, Moka already having pushed the call button. The blonde timidly reached out to touch Tora’s raven locks.

Tora ignored the slight brushings as she opened her schoolbag. She pulled out the two remaining figures and presented them to the girl. Both had yellow hats, but one was green while the other was blue and also had a white tail.

“I got Tamama and Keroro. Pick one.”

Zukkutani must have noticed their bags. Touching her lips, she regarded the figures intently. After a long pause that was ended with the ding of the elevator, she selected the blue one.

“So who’s the lucky person to get the main star?”

Tora walked into the elevator after Moka. Kurumu followed in slightly ahead of Zukkutani, noting that they had two guests already in the elevator. One was the fiery orange haired Asakira. The other girl was slightly taller with waist length, wavy hair that flowed down her shoulders like molten magma. It constantly shifted for no apparent reason.

“I have yet to give one to Ms. Sendou.”

Tora smiled to Asakira.

“Morning, Ms. Asakira.”

“Morning, Ms. Nazohashi.”

Somehow Tora was able to converse with the curt class one rep. Kurumu did not pay it much mind, as she did not care about the troubles of the student council. It was not like the representatives had any power over the council. The class rep was more of a gopher for the faculty whom happened to sit in for council matters that involved the whole school. This would be more important in the second term when things like sports day and the cultural festival were held. Assuming Yokai bothered with those things. Her Junior High had not, but she recalled those fun things from her human grade school.

“I heard you joined the fencing club.”

“I did. I prefer a sport where my success is entirely in my hands.”

That might be true, but Kagome’s class had soundly beaten them in volleyball yesterday. There had been no need for a third game. So much for any lofty ideas of having the best record. Not that Kurumu cared. There was no way she would have been subbed in, given her short stature.

Kurumu considered striking up a conversation with Zukkutani, but she worried it might be rude. She flashed Moka a smile, watching the lights of the elevator signal their steady descent. It did look like they would not be stopped for any additional passengers.

“Are you also in the fencing club, Ms. Kaimura?”

The other girl laughed.

“I don’t care much for sports. I’m content cheering Kiyomi and Yume from the sidelines.”

Kurumu frowned, certain she had heard the name before.

“Kirizumi Kiyomi?”

“That would be her.”

Kurumu nodded, recalling the blue haired track girl from Meirowasa’s class. That meant Asakira was also from the Sekikawa Junior High. It was located up in the mountains near some peak she did not care to recall.

The elevator signaled their arrival on the ground floor. Tora was saying more class rep stuff with Asakira. Walking out, she quickly made her way to the genkan. Sitting down, she set her schoolbag aside to free her shoes.

As Tora’s locker was on the other side, she bid Asakira farewell as the girls fetched their shoes. Zukkutani was first to sit beside Kurumu as she pulled on the first of her shoes. The girl had spent most of her elevator ride fixing her frog figure to her bag.

“She’s intimidating.”

Kurumu chuckled at the softness of Zukkutani’s voice.

“Kirizumi is worse.”

“I saw Ms. Kirizumi in gym the other day. She is serious.”

Kurumu smiled as she pulled on her other shoe. She nodded at the girl’s bag, aware that it had at least a sketchbook in there, if not more.

“So how long have you been drawing?”

“Feels like forever. I don’t think I was that serious about it until last year. That drawing tablet really changed everything.”

She nodded to Moka whom sat down on Kurumu’s other side.

“Once I had some real graphics software… it felt like I could really make something. Not just silly sketches that were quickly forgotten. The characters I was creating could have a real life. A real story. And I could share that with anyone with a few button clicks.”

“Are you talking about the internet?”

“Of course.”

Moka frowned as she started putting on her shoes.

“But… I thought you went to a monster school. They don’t have internet.”

“Do human schools have internet?”

“I… well…”

“We had services at home. It’s not like we lived separate from the humans. My father encouraged me to attend monster schools to appreciate my heritage.”

She nervously laughed as she finished her shoes. She stood up, prompting Kurumu to join her.

“I guess he didn’t realize how dangerous these schools can be.”

“I’m starting to wonder if Yokai is special. My Junior High was tame. Sure, we had bullies, but nothing life threatening.”

“That was also my experience. Riku and I did not expect this.”

Realizing that Tora and Moka were about to be finished, Kurumu walked over to the door and flashed her card to open it. She stepped outside, aware that Zukkutani was following her. Asakira and her friend were already several paces ahead of them, and she was in no hurry to catch up.

“Well… I hope your parents don’t get too freaked out and think of sending you away. You didn’t tell them exactly what happened, right?”

“I don’t know what I should say about it. The faculty had me sign a written statement about my safety. I also wrote them a letter, mostly assuring them that I was fine and had joined a club, though I guess they won’t get that till this weekend. I hope they’re okay.”

Tora came up beside them with Moka. The brunette smiled, shaking her head.

“I’m honestly surprised your parents were not summoned this weekend. I have to wonder how much they are told, or even if they are told when things happen to their children.”

“Oh, I was assured they were told. I don’t know the time frame, but I don’t know why I would have been asked to sign that statement if nothing had been said to them.”

“I swear this school’s policies…”

Moka forced a smile.

“How are you adjusting to classes? Yesterday was the first actual day for you to be in class.”

“It was… awkward. Of course most of the seats were taken, so I had to sit in the back row. Ms. Kubo has been kind enough not to outright ignore me.”

“Classmate?”

“The girl that sits in the back row by the window.”

“Moka here has that spot. It sounds like you and I are in the same seat.”

“It’s fortunate the two of you became such good friends.”

Kurumu smiled, thinking back to how it had started. Moka had been annoying with all that clinging to Tsukune. It had drawn a lot of attention away from her, which was not the best thing to happen being new to this school and after a month break of not being desired by her peers. Not that she had wanted a repeat of the charmed worship she had enjoyed in Junior High. The current level of mild interest her relationships with Tsukune and Moka had instigated was possibly more satisfying than that. It was a much bigger school, after all.

Her thoughts drifted to photographs and this weekend. Good friends. If she had been such a good friend, there would have never been a picture of Moka. She was stupid, selfish and inconsiderate. Moka deserved better.

“I believe Mr. Unsei is the class rep from seven. I could see if there is anything he could do to make your adjustment easier.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I don’t want to be of any trouble.”

“It’s no trouble. Though I don’t usually see him till the weekend morning meeting of the student council.”

“I’m fine.”

Kurumu had almost forgotten about that. Then again, she was busy with her remedial lessons, so it was not like that part of Tora’s schedule conflicted with hers. She wondered what Moka and Tsukune did on their Saturday mornings.

“Will you have to take a placement test? You missed the one everyone took after the club fair.”

Zukkutani smiled at Moka.

“I was told that there would be a retest on next Saturday.”

Kurumu perked up.

“Yes. All the students that… struggled to meet minimum standards have a retest. Though I only have to take the parts that I failed.”

“You really should put more efforts into studying, Kurumu. It’s embarrassing when Ms. Kagome calls for your answer in class.”

Kurumu blushed, recalling some of her dream this morning.

“Maybe we should study at the sleepover tonight.”

“No way! One night is not going to make a difference for me. I’m already dealing with remedial lessons and Ms. Kagome’s after club sessions. I need no more help.”

Moka laughed and so did Zukkutani. Even Tora joined in for the last couple seconds. They walked the remaining distance, chatting about nothing in particular. Content, Kurumu listened to most of it, not feeling the urge to contribute. It was sometimes nice to hang back and just watch things develop naturally, without trying so hard. It was not like they needed to know all the things that troubled them right away. Some secrets were always best kept to themselves.

As they arrived at the dining hall, Kurumu noted an unusual guard at the door. The tall dark haired boy from Tsukune’s floor was regarding their approach with mild interest. Dressed in the black jacket of the PSC, he almost looked intimidating. He made a formal bow to them.

“Mr. Umizake. What’s going on?”

Nodding to Tora, he turned and grabbed the handle, tugging the door open.

“I’m opening the door.”

The boy smiled as Moka paused at the door. It was unusual.

“No singing though. Tsukune persuaded against that.”

Tsukune and four of the guys from his floor were standing at a table near the door. Tsukune was in the center, smiling broadly, with Yamabato on his right. The scrawny Takoshine stood on Tsukune’s left, his puffy lips pulled back in a freakish grin. The chubby Tanboshi cleared his throat and the five boys stiffened in unison. They all bowed.

Kurumu stepped up to gently touch Moka’s back as they reached the boys. Only a few students were interested in the display. The boys straightened back up, and Tsukune stepped aside. On the table behind them was some tragedy of a cake. It looked like a misshapen mass covered in fudge and topped with candles. The silent Kinusawa moved over to the cake, pulling a lighter from his pocket.

“We all pitched in. Happy birthday, Moka.”

Moka tilted her head, a tear rolling down her cheek. Kurumu could feel the tightness in her own throat, aware how much this simple act meant.

“Thank you. Everyone.”

* * *

“Happy birthday, Ms. Akashiya”

Kurumu smiled, holding the broom. It was amusing to watch Burumoto and Tamaishi congratulate Moka on her birthday. She felt a twinge of guilt at how little they had did for the guy on his birthday two weeks ago. She had not realized he was not a Niigata native until some idle chatter in the lunch line today. He was actually from the Mikasa District in Sorachi and had come with one other boy, Musousaki, whom Tora had mentioned as being in the top five students of their class. The two were not close friends, as Musousaki was merely fulfilling his mother’s wishes coming here while Burumoto had enrolled to be on the same team as an old friend whom was a third year.

It had been a rather uneventful day. The ‘cake’ from this morning had turned out to be a mass of muffins squeezed together. The boys had emptied a dozen or so pudding packs to serve as the frosting that held that thing together. She had to give Tanboshi points for creativity and innovation.

Tanboshi and Tamaishi came from the same Junior High in the Yuzawa district. The other boy from their school, Munemoshi, lived on the same floor as Tsukune but spent most of his free time with the basketball team. None of the boys were close, and as far as Tanboshi knew, they were the only ones from their school in Yokai. Most of his former classmates went to that Mimori high school she had learned about today.

While technically not on cleanup duty, she had wanted to help Kamitsuku. He felt like the ringleader of the boys, though it was probably her imposing her first impression upon him. He was the one she had the most interaction with.

“Get your paws off my Moka!”

The boys guffawed at the angry little witch whom had entered the room. Patting Moka’s head one last time, Burumoto slapped Tamaishi hard in the shoulder and started for the door. Tamaishi thumped Burumoto’s chest with the back of his fist. The two laughed again and walked around the fuming Yukari.

As the two walked out the door, Unari darted in to prod at the snoozing Nerume. After a rather agitated exchange during lunch, Unari was definitely not spending the night at Yukari’s. Apparently Yukari was allergic to cats and had enough issues dealing with Unari’s presence all day as well as Ms. Nekonome for a whole hour. She bitched a whole good five minutes about how much trouble it would be to clean her apartment.

She sighed. They had decided to eat with Yukari since they had not done so in a while. That girl was so… difficult. Kurumu often felt herself to be rude, but Yukari made her feel like an angel in comparison. The things that girl would say…

Tora had left with Ms. Nekonome after dismissing the class. The two of them were meeting up with Morioka at the student council. She imagined they would be back soon.

Most of the other students had left. Hanetsume was sticking around to help Tobuyoku with the board, though they were mostly chatting. Zukkutani slipped in through the front door and waved. Waving back, she watched as the girl wandered about the class to take the empty seat in front of hers.

Yukari had already hopped into Moka’s lap and was in full cuddle mode. The vampire smiled as Unari approached with a yawning Nerume. The pair exchanged pleasantries, likely wishing her a good birthday even though they had already done so at lunch. Moka waved at the pair as they walked away.

“Are you sure you’re helping?”

Kurumu smirked as Yamabato brandished the dust pan at her.

“I could have handled this on my own.”

“And miss out on the good news of your first paper? I think not.”

He hunkered down at the pile she had accumulated. Taking the cue, she pushed the dust into the pan.

“You just want to see how good those pictures ended up.”

“Maybe. We did help.”

If everything was approved, they would be spending the rest of the day printing out and folding up the papers. Morioka had admitted they only had the budget for a thousand copies. While it was enough to handle all of the students, that did not leave many for distributing to the town. They would either have to raise the cost of the ads or renegotiate their nonexistent budget with the student council.

“Tsukune mentioned you came to Yokai with a bunch of girls. Are you secretly hoarding a harem during your lunch hour?”

He chuckled as they wandered over to the trash can.

“I wish. All the girls I came with are all undines.”

Kurumu frowned. She did not know much about the water fairies. Undine was a term reserved for those of the pure element, the other three being gnome, sylph and salamander. Aware that he was a Kappa, she did not know why there would be a problem with him dating a water sprite.

“Is that an issue?”

He laughed.

“With girls, yes. Undine boys are less… picky. My father is an undine.”

“I thought you were a kappa.”

“You know… we probably shouldn’t be talking about this.”

She sighed, though it was not like anyone in this class would care about them discussing this topic. The two track girls had finished up and were wandering over to Moka. She smiled. A lot of their classmates had acknowledged Moka’s birthday today. Even the trio of Hiboshi, Irewata and Arashimideru had wished her a happy birthday and had worked extra hard to earn that victory over class four in gym, which had taken all three games.

“You know, Izumi is one of those girls.”

“Huh?”

“Izumi Kasui, from the track team. She’s one of the four. And I’m sure you’ve met Masataka Midori, since she’s from class one and you would share gym.”

Kurumu vaguely recalled the name. She knew half of the girls from class one by name. This was probably one of the quiet girls that stood off to the side.

“You have home ec, right? She’s also taking that.”

Oh. That would be one of the two girls at station nine. The dark haired one was quiet, but did not have the same feel about her. She was not like Izumi.

“Is she the chatty blonde?”

“That would be her. Izumi and Utsumi are in my computer class. I understand she’s from class four. As for Yarimizu… I don’t even know. I’ve seen her around, but it’s not like I’m going to ask what she’s doing.”

Kurumu smiled, offering a wave to the two track girls as they slipped out the back. She wandered over to the storage closet as Yamabato opened the small locker. She handed him the broom and he put the cleaning things away.

“Sounds like a small showing for your school. Was it a small junior high?”

“Smaller than Yokai. I heard you talking with Tanboshi this morning so I guess you’re familiar with Mimori High.”

“So you’re from a southern district.”

“Itoigawa. And no, we are not off the coast. Our school was actually hidden near the old site of Nechi Castle. Mimori is still a good drive depending on where you live in Itoigawa, but it’s much closer than Yokai.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I’m from Tottori. I don’t know any of the Niigata landmarks.”

“Oh yea. Tsukune mentioned you weren’t local. I understand none of your club is. Except that little one. Everybody knows Sendou is local.”

Kurumu had never asked, but it made sense with the notoriety of her family. Smirking, she wandered over to the group. Yukari was nuzzling up against Moka’s right tit while brazenly fondling the other in her hand. Moka looked flush, not putting much effort to move Yukari’s hand aside. Her other arm was wrapped around the seated witch, useless to ward off Yukari’s advances.

Tsukune was trying his best not to stare at the altercation. He was so desperate to ignore the molestation that he had struck up a conversation with Zukkutani, whom was sketching with decisive strokes in her notebook. The blonde’s attention often wandered to the breathy Moka, but she would quickly turn back to her sketch.

“So… Zukkutani. You have science lab after lunch.”

“Mhm.”

“So do us. Um… did they have a lab group assigned for you?”

“They already had seven groups of three. I got added to Kubo’s group.”

“Oh, right. The girl you mentioned before.”

“Mhm.”

“You could have asked Aku. I’m sure he would have agreed to it.”

“Uh… Mr. Tanboshi?”

“Oh, right. Yea. He said you were in his class.”

“Mr. Tanboshi and Mr. Takoshine are lab partners. Their third is Mr. Nakamura. I really would not feel comfortable being with a group of guys.”

Kurumu chuckled as she placed a hand on Moka’s shoulder. The vampire whimpered, turquoise eyes pleading.

“You really should tell her to stop.”

“I have.”

“Hey, Ms. Chibikan. Save that for tonight.”

“Oh, I have plenty to spare.”

“I’ve been wondering if I could spin a romance angle in my comic. Of course I would have to keep it vanilla, being part of the school paper.”

“Aren’t all your characters male?”

“There’s nothing wrong with a little boys love. Have you seen Gravitation?”

Kurumu shrugged. She snatched off Yukari’s hat and plopped it down on Moka’s desk. The runt paused her cheek nuzzling, glancing up at her.

“Do you require something?”

“Sure. I’m curious where the famous Lord Sendou resides. Are you a city girl like Moka?”

Yukari turned her nose up.

“First, it is wrong to assume that I live with my Grandfather. Second, no respectable witch would ever live in the toxic environs of a human city. It’s a sickening tragedy what has been done to the land.”

“Indeed. Human industrialization, while useful, has caused much strife within the kodama communities. The disruption in the flow of spiritual energy makes the poor things difficult to work with.”

Yukari huffed.

“Your kind sees witches as no different.”

“Well… witches manipulate that energy as they see fit. They don’t ask for permission and don’t consider the consequences of their actions.”

Kurumu tousled the pouty girl’s head.

“That sounds accurate.”

Kodama were old spirits of the woods. As far as Kurumu knew, they did not live in the same sense of other monster races. They existed, like water, air and stone. They were the essence of life that manifested as needed. She was curious what Zukkutani might be with her mentioning the kodama. Only a few races could directly interact with them in a harmonious fashion.

“So… not from a city. A nearby village then? I can’t imagine you living up in the mountains in a monster community.”

“Of course not. Witches would not be welcome.”

Kurumu chuckled.

“Where then? I’ve heard where everyone else is from and it feels weird that we don’t know much about you.”

“If you must know, my parents live on the outskirts of Oguni, Yamagata. My Grandfather lives near Sekikawa, Niigata. My favorite everything is Moka.”

The vampire mewled as Yukari resumed her fondling.

“Hey, I wasn’t done.”

“What more is to know? I’m only eleven, homeschooled and barely talked with anyone other than my family. There’s nothing to tell.”

Tsukune laughed.

“That’s not true, Yukari. Surely you have some good stories about time spent with your parents.”

“I don’t understand the point of telling you that.”

“I… well… help me out guys.”

Kurumu laughed with Zukkutani, doubting she could reason with the girl. If anything, Kurumu was a little worried that the little sociopath still had those pictures in her apartment. She would have to find a moment when the brat was not attached to broach the subject.

“Ms. Kurono. I see that your club leader is not here.”

Kurumu sighed, turning to address the buxom teacher. Pressing her palms together, she bowed her head.

“Please, spare me for the day.”

“What?”

The woman snapped her crop in her palm, causing Kurumu to flinch.

“I think you fail to comprehend the situation. You can’t afford to fall more behind than you already are.”

“It’s Ms. Akashiya’s birthday.”

“You can let Kurumu pass this one day, Teacher. She’ll be with Moka and Yukari all night.”

Kurumu smiled, thankful the two boys had spoken up for her.

“I appreciate the votes of confidence, but nothing can surpass the tutoring a teacher can provide. Especially when it comes to a birthday.”

Kurumu winced, realizing the statements did contradict. She frowned at Yamabato for mentioning Moka’s birthday.

“Please, Ms. Kagome. It’s just one day.”

The woman cracked her crop again.

“You have missed multiple days. It’s difficult to progress when you interrupt the pattern so frequently.”

It’s not like one more day was going to change anything.

“I swear to you, this will be the last time. Please.”

Yukari snorted, muttering something into Moka’s tit about her promise being only good until Tsukune was next hospitalized.

“Very well. Under no circumstances shall you miss tomorrow’s session. Are we clear?”

“Yes, Teacher.”

“I swear. Troublesome girl.”

Ms. Kagome shook her head as she backed out into the hall.

“Ah, Ms. Nekonome. I’ve been wanting to talk to you about-”

The woman started off in a conversation with Ms. Nekonome as Morioka and Tora walked through the door. Morioka had his lips pursed as he rolled his wrist, causing the rolled paper in his hand to draw a lazy circle. His other hand was thrust in his pocket. If he was trying to look disappointed, the smirk on Tora’s face was enough to dispel any concerns of failure.

“Moka, get up.”

That was easier said than done. The vampire was pinned in to her desk with the witch seated in her lap and hugging her torso.

“Ms. Sendou, please. Allow Moka some dignity.”

Yukari sighed dramatically.

“Fine.”

The little witch wiggled about, turning. She hopped out of the chair, promptly grabbing her pointed hat off the desk and fixing it atop her head. She stood aside as Moka clutched her chest, catching her breath.

Moka stood up, still flush from the abuse. As she turned to Morioka, the boy swatted her head with the rolled up paper. She frowned as he smiled, handing it to her.

“The council approved it. Unanimously.”

Tsukune stood up and grinned.

“I told him the first paper we printed would be a good birthday present.”

Moka wiped at the corner of her eye.

“Thanks.”

“Well… that’s the club’s present.”

Morioka grinned as he pulled a small box out of his pocket. It was a black box with a red ribbon fastened about it. He held it out for Moka.

“This would be from me. I’m sure you all thought I ditched you Sunday for no reason, but I had my eye on this.”

Moka held her hand over her mouth. Kurumu felt nervous. Did this guy actually have the nerve to buy a ring? Zukkutani looked hopeful while Yukari and Tsukune were quite concerned.

“I… shouldn’t.”

“Come on, Moka. It’s not that odd to get a gift on your birthday.”

Tora was grinning. That did make Kurumu feel a little better.

“I just… I’ve never actually gotten a present before.”

Money. That was what Moka was used to getting. Kurumu felt bad that she had not thought to buy something, anything.

“Open it.”

Moka daintily took the small box from his hand. She slipped the ribbon off the box and cracked it open. Inside was a silver whistle fixed to a short length of pewter chain.

“Since you have that…”

He gestured to her rosary.

“I had the length shortened so you could wear it like a bracelet.”

“Morioka. I… Thank you.”

“Now that’s a special whistle, Moka. If you’re ever in any trouble and you use this, I will find you.”

Moka smiled and hugged him. Morioka grinned, taking in a deep breath and letting his hands relax about the vampire. Kurumu smirked as those hands drifted well past the hemline of the skirt to squeeze Moka’s derriere. Moka squeaked in alarm.

“Um… Senior?”

Taking a more direct approach than Tora’s hesitant protest, Yukari stepped in and smacked his hands.

“Release my Moka, you lecher!”

Morioka laughed, relinquishing his grip to hop back out of reach.

“Well then. Shall we start printing?”

* * *

Kurumu regarded her reflection in the small mirror hung above the sink. She hoped the others would not fuss much over her shedding the bra. The tank top sort of held them in place. She ran her fingers through her hair, noting her ribbon tied to her wrist.

They had received several compliments over the day for wearing their hair down. Kurumu had taken most with a dismissive smile, though it was obvious Tora was not accustomed to such attention. Clearly Tomisaki and Morioka approved of the change.

It had taken over two hours to print and fold all the papers. They had barely made it to the dining hall before they ceased serving dinner. After a quick stop in their rooms to gather things for tomorrow morning, they had finally arrived at Yukari’s apartment. It was already after nine and Morioka wanted everyone handing papers in front of the school as early as six thirty.

Coming out of the bathroom, Kurumu smiled at the group of girls gathered at a low table Yukari had pulled out from beneath her bed. Zukkutani was shuffling a deck of cards while Moka was enduring the attention of a clingy witch. Tora was fumbling through her schoolbag near the entryway.

None of them were wearing sexy lingerie. Zukkutani had a loose fitting white tee with a fluffy, pastel yellow sleep pant. It looked itchy, but the girl had let them feel how soft it was on the way over to the apartment. The inner lining was much smoother.

Yukari sported a pair of panda print pants and a matching chemise. The silky fabric hung loosely from her tiny frame. She was leaned up against Moka, rubbing one hand against the small of Moka’s back while the other was probably doing something scandalous.

Thinking of scandals, she had managed to confirm that none of her secrets would be found lying about the apartment. The girl had been agitated that Kurumu had actually thought she would keep such things. If they had been pictures of Moka like the note had teased… concern would have been justified.

Kurumu wandered over to the bags near Tora, slipping tomorrow’s skirt back inside with the rest of her uniform. She figured the short like panties were good enough for bottoms and apparently so did Tora. She smiled, noting the girl had pulled out a clear bottle with a spray end.

“What are you doing?”

“Yukari said it will be okay.”

Tora had swapped out her purple bra for a dark green sports bra. Flecks of black broke up the color to give it some semblance of a pattern. The tanned girl lifted the spray bottle and pressed down the dispenser. A fine mist shot out at the corner of the door.

It looked like water but there soon was a notably strong smell. Kurumu did not have much experience with perfume, but this was not pleasant. She grimaced as the girl wandered off to spray the corner near the kitchen.

“What is that?”

“A charm. It helps me focus.”

Kurumu could not imagine anyone needing this sickly sweet scent. Grimacing she wandered back to the other girls, relieved to be away from the door.

This was the first time Kurumu had seen Moka wear those cute pajamas she had bought a couple weeks ago. The soft pink pants had white hearts of different sizes scattered about the fabric. The matching top was a simple, white tank top with a large pink heart in the center. Moka’s breasts pushed that heart proudly forth, and would not have creased in the slightest if that little witch had kept her hands to herself. As was, the flush Moka’s nipples proudly stood out from the fabric, her left one pinched between the little devil’s tiny fingers.

Before Kurumu has slipped into the bathroom to change, they had convinced Moka to part ways with the lacy pink bra. She doubted it would have offered more protection from this assault. Shaking her head, Kurumu knelt down by the table with Zukkutani on her left.

“Shall we play old maid?”

Yukari nuzzled her cheek against Moka’s arm. The vampire had one hand resting on the witch’s knee while the other loosely held Yukari by the wrist. The flush vampire whimpered as Yukari pinched the protrusion.

“That’s boring. We could try spin the bottle.”

Kurumu smirked.

“We’re all girls.”

“My closet is big enough for seven minutes of heaven.”

Kurumu shook her head, amazed with how forward this little girl could be. Tora stepped into that closet, lifting the bottle and spraying. Slipping back out, she wandered over to the bathroom to do the same.

“What’s she doing?”

“She wants to put up her barrier.”

“Does that mean we have to deal with her little guardian?”

“We’ll be inside, so there’s no reason for her id to step out.”

Kurumu hoped Yukari was right. That phantom child had been intimidating.

“I’ll deal out for five.”

“Don’t you have any games?”

Yukari grinned as she released Moka’s nipple to cup and squeeze the tit. She then drifted her hand down Moka’s belly, her fingertips turning down.

“We could see what makes Moka moan the most.”

“Don’t.”

Perhaps the sternness of her remark startled Yukari. The witch paused, fingertips touching the hem of Moka’s sleep pants. The little girl drew in a deep breath and relaxed, rubbing her hand back up to Moka’s belly.

Zukkutani managed a smile as she started to deal out the cards. She quickly tossed one card down at a time, making a pile on her left for Tora.

“What other games could we play?”

“I thought we could bake a cake, but it’s way too late for that.”

“We could play a stripping game.”

“Could you curb your horniness?”

Zukkutani giggled, dealing out the last of the cards.

“We could try to play a game of twister.”

“Does anyone have it?”

“Yukari puts her right hand on Moka’s right tit.”

The little girl grinned as she promptly followed her own command.

Zukkutani blushed.

“Is she going to do this all night?”

Kurumu shrugged, picking up her cards. She noted Tora had finished her rounds of the room and was back at the entryway putting away that spray bottle. The girl stepped back, clapping her hands together. With a few quick gestures, her body glowed a bluish white. Kurumu could feel the air change as the barrier enclosed about them. It felt similar to that day of school in which she had been allowed into Tora’s domain.

“Hey twerp. You’re going to need your hands to play with us.”

“But I’m busy playing with my Moka.”

It was late. While Moka usually did not try too hard to deny Yukari’s antics, she was probably too tired to stop anything. The teasing could very well be the only thing keeping the poor girl conscious.

Tora slinked over to the table, kneeling down across from Kurumu. She picked up the stack of cards and reached over to place a hand on Yukari’s shoulder.

“Ms. Sendou. Let’s play a game.”

Yukari sighed. She snuggled her cheek once more against Moka’s tit, her body relaxing. Releasing Moka’s breast, she scooted a little off the vampire to bring her other hand around the front. She picked up the cards.

“We should use her dream world.”

Tora frowned.

“Dream world?”

“I think Kurumu can wander into a dream realm. She can make me look as old as everyone else here.”

Kurumu chuckled.

“You just want to have big titties.”

“I want to play with the other Moka.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes. She had no idea why anyone would want to play with the silver haired demon. She regarded her hand. If this was poker, she had an amazing straight. She sighed, throwing down only a pair.

It looked like everyone else was more fortunate. Tora and Zukkutani ended up with only five cards each while Yukari had seven. Moka slowly paired off her cards, eventually ended up with only four. The girl yawned.

“There’s another Moka?”

“She’s talking about her true form. There isn’t a second Moka.”

Zukkutani shuffled her cards and presented them to Tora. Tora selected one and frowned. Shuffling her cards, she held them out to Yukari.

“But the other Moka has a different personality.”

Yukari glanced over her cards, mixing them up. Moka selected a card. After another yawn, the vampire tossed a pair down and held the remaining three for Kurumu to pick from.

“She’s different, but not in a good way.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake. She actually had nine different cards. Not the old maid, but it was only a matter of time before she got that. She held them up for Zukkutani, seeing no point to mix the huge pile she had.

“It must be lonely spending your whole birthday sealed away.”

That did sound unfortunate, but that demon of a girl probably preferred being alone. Zukkutani took a card and mixed it in before turning to Tora. Tora did likewise for Yukari. The little girl dropped a pair of aces and held her cards for Moka.

Moka rubbed the black choker about her neck, the rosary hidden beneath her shirt. She regarded her trio of cards and held them over for Kurumu.

“I think she’s happy that I had a wonderful birthday.”

Kurumu smiled, taking a card. She sighed. Sure enough she added the old maid to her hand.

They played the game for a while with Moka sitting on her two cards for quite some time. Eventually Kurumu got down to five cards, but the rest of them were hovering at three or less. Zukkutani actually finished first, with Moka finally getting out on the next round. Yukari, whom had been sitting on a single card for several rounds got out when there were only two pairs left. Of course Kurumu ended up with the old maid.

Kurumu placed a hand on the dozing vampire when they started to deal the next round.

“Come on, Moka. Play another round.”

“I’m done. Let me sleep.”

Yukari got up, leaning to place her small hand in Moka’s armpit.

“You can sleep in the bed. I have some extra sheets for the rest of us.”

The vampire made no protest as the witch helped her to her feet. It took little encouragement for the vampire to pitch face first into the pillows. She wiggled her butt up onto the bed, turning about and rolling over onto her back. Clutching a pillow to her breast, she relaxed.

“He shouldn’t have made us work so much on her birthday.”

“It couldn’t be helped.”

“We could have waited another day.”

Kurumu sighed as Zukkutani dealt out another round. Yukari moved back to her original spot.

“You guys up for a movie? I brought a few DVDs.”

“I don’t have a television.”

“We can watch on my laptop.”

Kurumu shrugged. This was not exactly what she had in mind for a slumber party. She felt like they could have done much more if they had not started so late. In the least, they could have talked more.

She tossed out three pairs, which was better than last round. It looked like Yukari was the leader this time. The game went a bit faster with one less player. Everyone dropped to about four or five cards quickly and then it stalled for a bit. Then Yukari got lucky and was down to a single card, passing the old maid over to Kurumu. Everybody dropped to one or two cards at about the same time.

Yukari played out first. Because Kurumu only had one card, which happened to be the old maid, she was allowed to pass her card over to Zukkutani. Tora picked correctly, leaving their new club member with the old maid.

They played one more round, but Yukari pulled out a second victory while the rest of them still had several cards. Tora and Zukkutani both were down to a single card with Kurumu holding their pairs and the maid. Of course she lost that round.

A quarter after ten, Zukkutani hopped onto her feet and headed for the entryway to fetch her laptop bag.

“Okay, what do you guys want to watch? I brought Millennial Actress, Spirited Away and Tokyo Godfathers.”

Tora shrugged as she shuffled the cards.

“I’ve seen them all.”

Yukari got up and headed over to the closet.

“We’ll have to steal some pillows off the bed. Could you put the table away?”

Kurumu nodded, getting up and grabbing the edge of the table. Scooting about, she hefted it up and guided it back to the shadowy recesses beneath the bed. Straightening up, she collected the two pillows the vampire was not hugging or drooling on.

Yukari was spreading out some bedding on the floor. It was roughly the same size as hers, but they could probably squeeze two people onto it. The girl did have an extra comforter and sheets that could make up for the lack.

“I’m surprised you will join us commoners on the floor.”

“I’m not. I’ll crawl in bed with Moka after the movie.”

Kurumu thought of protesting, but this was Yukari’s apartment. There was plenty of room for a second person, so it was not like the girl was being unreasonable.

“You better behave.”

“We have to be up early.”

Tora had put the cards back into her case and started to help Yukari with the sheets. Kurumu tossed a pillow on the floor next to Tora and swatted the girl’s rump with the other.

Zukkutani bounded back over to them, setting down the laptop at the edge of the matting. She plugged a cord into a black box which in turn plugged into the outlet on the wall between the bathroom and closet doors. She hopped back to the computer, kneeling down.

“So which one did you guys want?”

“I haven’t heard of any of them.”

Yukari shrugged.

“My parents did not watch television.”

“You poor things.”

Kurumu chuckled, kneeling down beside the tanned girl. She dropped her pillow down and pressed her hand on the small of Tora’s back. The girl frowned, sitting back on her haunches with her task complete.

“What would you recommend, Tora?”

“I think Tokyo Godfathers would be good.”

Zukkutani set the DVD cases next to the laptop. She snatched up the pillow near Tora as she turned on her side, stretching her legs back. Pulling the pillow beneath her, she settled in on her stomach as she moved the small mouse that was plugged in the side of the laptop.

“Any objections.”

“Nope.”

Kurumu lowered down, scooting her pillow forward to the edge of the bedding. She pushed the pillow over some as she lowered onto her side, planting an elbow on the corner of the soft bedding. Resting her cheek on her palm, she gestured for Tora to join her.

Tora regarded the screen. She squeezed in the small space between Kurumu and Zukkutani, putting her elbows down on the pillow and holding one fist in the other. She scooted up, resting her chin on the back of her fingers.

Yukari pouted.

“There’s no room.”

“The girl that hangs all over Moka thinks there is no room.”

Zukkutani laughed as she placed a DVD into the tray. She pushed a small button that prompted the tray to close.

“Do you think she weighs much? I don’t mind if she lies on top of me.”

Yukari held her hands up at her chest.

“Is that okay?”

“Sure, why not?”

“But… I’m a witch.”

Zukkutani laughed again, shaking her head.

“Ms. Sendou. I don’t think anyone here has issue with you being a witch.”

Her hesitation made sense. While Yukari adored Moka, she kept her distance from the rest of the club. Kurumu suspected she was the closest to this girl, though only because Yukari knew her secret.

Yukari tentatively stepped around their legs. Despite the offer from the blonde, the witch eased herself on top of Tora. The brunette grunted out a breath, deciding to move her elbows over the pillow and bring her forearms down on top of each other. Tora nuzzled her cheek into the pillow as Zukkutani pushed a few buttons to make the movie take up the full screen.

“See. There was room for a little brat.”

Yukari leaned towards Zukkutani, placing her hand between the two girls. She brought her other hand up, poking the hem of Kurumu’s tank top. Curling her finger, she gently tugged the fabric down.

“Hey.”

“I want mine now.”

Kurumu chuckled, tousling the girl’s hair much to Tora’s dismay.

“Please, don’t. You two need to watch the movie.”

Kurumu sighed, stretching her arm out as she pressed in closer to the two. Her cheek had the very edge of the pillow and she could see over Tora’s scrawny arm. She lowered her other hand from Yukari’s head to the small of the witch’s back.

As she felt her tit being freed from her tank top, she had a feeling Yukari was not the least bit interested in the movie.


	31. A Sticky Situation

“Please, enjoy this paper our club has made.”

Zukkutani held out a folded paper to the man approaching the school. The man wore a tan suit with a red and black tie. He took the paper and Zukkutani bowed respectfully to the balding man.

“Good to see the newspaper club is back.”

The man smiled, switching the paper to his other hand holding the black briefcase.

“Keep up the good work.”

Kurumu set down another box full of papers next to the table they had set up near the boards where the grades had been posted two weeks ago. She noted Morioka’s slight bow to the man whom continued on to the school.

“Who was that?”

“Mr. Sawayaka, my homeroom teacher from last year.”

Kurumu smiled, watching the teacher depart. She had assumed Morioka had been in Ms. Nekonome’s class. She recalled Mr. Sawayaka taught Japanese, so it was possible the teacher assignments had been different last year. Morioka could have still had Ms. Nekonome for history.

So that was the father of the girl Meirowasa adored. Having seen Sawayaka in home economics, it was clear that the girl took after her mother. It was hard to believe such an elegant and graceful thing was related to such a dull, ordinary man.

Tsukune was bringing over the last of the paper stacks with Moka chatting at his side. He still looked haggard from their initial morning encounter. As half of them had been denied a proper breakfast, Moka had treated herself to Tsukune’s blood under the excuse of a belated birthday present. At least she was no longer stumbling about, dead to the world.

Moka had been the last to wake up this morning. Tora had dressed the drowsy vampire, leaving them with the task of being Moka’s walking supports. This was mostly due to Tora insisting that they arrive a little early for setup, which meant leaving Yukari’s apartment by six.

Yukari had not made it through the whole movie. About halfway through it, her feeble fondling attempts had ceased with her body going lax. They had paused the DVD to carry the slightly conscious girl over to the bed. It had nearly been midnight when the rest of them had turned out the lights.

Tokyo Grandfathers had been enjoyable, though a bit strange. All these humans were messed up and the world was a filthy, cold place. While she understood that the audience had to be introduced to the past lives of these homeless protagonists, it had felt odd that people that lived in such close quarters acted like complete strangers. It was not like they hated each other enough to remain distant. It was not like living with Mom. What did she even really know about her? She had been too young to ask such things when Mom was everything and after moving to Kengamine, she would have been happy with never speaking at all to the woman actively destroying her life.

Morioka thrust a stack of papers into her hands.

“Get to work, Kurumu. You’re not here for your looks.”

Kurumu smirked, pulling the stack up against her chest. Sticking her tongue out at him, she walked about the table to join Yukari.

Apparently Yukari’s normal routine was waking up at five fifteen. The little girl showered and then would spend the rest of her morning cooking her meals and packing her lunch. Around six, she would clean her dishes, counters and make her bed before leaving for school. Much to her displeasure, her habitual cleaning had been neglected.

The little brat had not bothered to wake any of them up. It had been about five forty when Kurumu had roused to the smell of cooking. Lying on her back, Tora had cuddled up against her using her breasts for a pillow. Zukkutani had been sprawled off to the side with a sheet loosely draped across her, rasping out long breaths. It was almost as loud as Mother’s snoring.

Slow to grasp the time crunch, Kurumu had been busy complaining about Yukari not making breakfast for everyone while Tora showered up. The witch had directed her to the toaster and a loaf of bread, claiming her hopes that Kurumu was smart enough to handle that. At least the girl had some jam to go with the toast. Taking her time, Kurumu had showered last.

Tora had decided braiding her hair was more important than eating toast. When she had finished with her hair, she had taken charge of handling Moka. Her sense of urgency had convinced Yukari to leave the apartment in such disarray.

“Please, take a copy of our paper.”

Kurumu handed a paper over to the grinning Mr. Kotsubo. The soccer team’s coach had a mangy mess of teal hair and rich blue eyes like the deepest of oceans. Both of his ears were dotted with black pearl stones.

“Hard at work, girls.”

He took the paper in one hand and patted her head with the other. Lifting his hand, he gave her a salute and walked away.

“If we had waited ten more minutes I could have cleaned my apartment.”

Kurumu laughed, taking a paper and knocking the girl’s hat off. Yukari scowled, scurrying over to retrieve her hat. Being only a little past six thirty, most of their customers were teachers. It would be another five or so minutes before any students started passing by.

“Get out there and help, Moka. Tsukune and I can handle the table.”

It still worried her when Morioka took Tsukune aside like this. Morioka had his arm draped over Tsukune’s shoulder, no doubt thinking up some new scheme to remove Tsukune from this school. She had a feeling this truce these past few days would soon come to an end.

At least Tora had promised not to get any further involved in Morioka’s scheming. It was comforting to have her hanging out by the table with them. She had her club notebook out instead of holding a stack of papers.

Kurumu smiled as Moka came up next to her. The vampire was beaming with joy.

“I see you’re glowing.”

Moka giggled, clutching the stack of papers to her chest.

“I feel really good today. I’m so happy we did this.”

“Maybe if I can slip free from another of Ms. Kagome’s torture sessions, we can do it again.”

“Oh… I meant this.”

“Yea, but we should have a real sleepover next time. You passed out before any of the fun things happened.”

Yukari huffed as Zukkutani handed off papers to a couple more teachers.

“What fun stuff? We played cards and watched a movie.”

“If Moka had not been so quick to turn in, we could have given her that sponge bath.”

Moka laughed.

“We weren’t going to do that… right?”

“Allow me to be your sponge, Moka.”

“You already act like a sponge, mini masher.”

“Hey! Less talking and more working! Don’t have Kana do everything!”

Scolded by their leader, Kurumu turned about and smiled broadly at the next group coming down the path. If not for their dress, the three chatting women could easily have passed as students. The tallest one in the middle had her auburn locks swept up in a pompadour with the sides trimmed extra short about her ears. As she turned her head to address her companions, the braided tail at the back of her neck shifted against her pristine white business jacket. She wore a lavender dress shirt beneath, tucked in a pair of black slacks held up by a white leather belt.

The woman on the left was a plump lady with whitish locks that hung down her forehead like a curtain. Her ears were buried behind that dingy white sheet, though the strands did not fall much further than that. It was even shorter in the back.

The chubby woman was slightly shorter and was clutching the strap of her black bag hung upon her broad shoulder. A crimson blouse peaked from beneath the black jacket while her tan slacks accommodated her wide, shapely hips.

The shortest one had two long pony tails formed right behind her tiny ears. These dark chocolate tresses plunged down her sides to her thin waist. She wore a simple white dress beneath a periwinkle suit jacket that was forcibly parted by her ample bosom. It looked like the jacket’s single black button was about to snap free. Unlike the other two, this woman had rolled her jacket sleeves back to her elbows.

Stepping forth, Kurumu handed a paper out.

“Would you like a copy of our paper, Teacher?”

The trio stopped. The tall one glanced her over with familiar, whitish yellow eyes. Her thin lips turned up in one corner.

“I see the newspaper club is mostly girls this year.”

She looked past them to the table.

“Morning, Mr. Morioka.”

“Morning, Ms. Yoshino.”

“Ladies.”

The teacher brushed by Kurumu intent on the table. Zukkutani shrugged and approached the next man coming up the path. Concerned, Kurumu backed a couple paces towards the table, glancing over her shoulder.

“A fine group you have this year. I’m sure Ms. Otonashi would be proud.”

“Thank you, Ms. Yoshino. We all worked hard on this.”

The woman nodded, taking a paper from the table and handing it over to her chubby companion. She grabbed a second paper and tucked it under her arm.

“I trust you won’t be late for class.”

Morioka grinned.

“Of course not, Ms. Yoshino.”

The brunette stepped up to the table, leaning forward with her eyes closed and her pert nose stuck up. She made an audible sniffing sound.

“Something smells nice.”

With amazing strength, the woman placed her hand on the table and kicked up. She held her body up with her arm extended, the dress falling down to expose her lacy, black panties. She placed her other hand down, turning about so that her face was near Tsukune’s. She sniffed again.

“It’s you.”

Tsukune flinched as the woman vaulted over him. The woman’s strong arms came down on his shoulders as she touched down behind him, pressing to his back. She stood on her toes as she pulled the startled boy back, placing her cheek against the side of his head.

The tall woman clucked her tongue.

“Darling, behave yourself.”

The short woman grinned, snatching a paper from Tsukune’s hands. Spinning around him, she sprung over the table, her body twisting head over heels till she landed with one foot firmly on a palm Ms. Yoshino had held out. The brunette waved with her free hand, all fingers moving independently.

“Bye now.”

The woman flipped off Ms. Yoshino’s hand, hitting the ground with a twirl. Ms. Yoshino smirked, walking over to join her odd companion. The plump lady eyed Morioka before heading for the school.

Tsukune looked terrified and Morioka was rubbing the back of his neck, agitated. Tora shared a glance with Kurumu, shrugging.

“What just happened?”

“That would be my homeroom teacher and also the advisor for the PSC.”

“Is that a problem?”

Morioka scowled. Suddenly he turned aside and grabbed Tsukune by the shoulders, shaking the boy furiously.

“Yes, there’s a problem! Why?! If Ms. Rin was going to rub up against anybody, it should have been me!”

Kurumu grimaced.

“That’s your problem?”

“You don’t understand. Did you see that body?”

Morioka made a squeezing boob gesture that caused Tora to grimace with disgust. He groaned, hugging himself.

“You would think with how close those two are that she would have been my science teacher this year.”

He cocked his head aside, stroking his chin.

“Not that Ms. Yumeito isn’t easy on the eyes. But still. There’s just no comparison.”

Tora cleared her throat loudly, her cheeks flush as he resumed with the air fondling gestures.

“We should concentrate our efforts on distributing these papers.”

“You must tell me your secret, Tsukune. How do you do it? Must I become so weak and useless that women will feel compelled to protect my pitiful existence?”

Tsukune flinched. Kurumu rolled her eyes.

“Must I abandon all pride and dignity?”

Tsukune’s shoulders slouched as he hung his head lower, regarding the ground. Kurumu was about to remark over Morioka’s lack of either of those qualities.

“Is there no bottom low enough to match your caliber?”

“Okay, ease up there, Morioka. I’m not going to ignore you bad mouthing my Tsukune.”

Her skirt rustled as Morioka appeared at her side. He clutched his arms about her, purposely squeezing her left tit. Despite the roughness of his act, she felt no strong lust. This was nothing but theatrics.

“I’m borrowing this one, Tsukune. You owe me this much.”

“Senior, would you please desist! You are making a scene.”

Morioka whisked over to Tora, snatching her by her left hand and causing her to stagger. She clutched her notebook to her chest, blushing as he knelt down before her.

“I have not forgotten you, Tora. Please, forgive me. These male desires and frustrations are a heavy burden for me to bear. Would you kindly lend me your bosom to cry into?”

Kurumu thumped him atop the head with a rolled up paper.

“Seriously. Is there a problem with the PSC?”

Morioka got up and glanced over his shoulder.

“There shouldn’t be. Tora provided a copy of our paper to that student police girl and I gave a copy to the faculty. The PSC obviously know about the paper by now, and have made no protest over it being published.”

“Who was the big woman?”

“I wouldn’t say Mrs. Itou is big. I hear she used to be very tiny but it takes a couple years to work off all that mating weight.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Morioka laughed patting her head.

“Don’t fret over that. I’m sure all women get a little huskier when carrying a child.”

He grinned.

“Though it’s scary to think those tits of yours could get any bigger.”

This time it was Tora that swatted him in the back with her notebook. With a smirk, Morioka darted back to his original spot next to Tsukune. He clapped the despondent boy in the back.

“Tsukune. Stop standing around doing nothing. We have papers to sell.”

Kurumu shook her head, always amazed at the audacity of this guy. Zukkutani pranced over and held out her empty hands. Chuckling, Morioka handed over a fresh stack to the blonde.

For the next thirty minutes, things moved rather smoothly. It was starting to be more students and they were having no problems emptying their hands.

“Doth my eyes deceive me? Have angels descended upon Yokai?”

Kurumu smirked as a horned boy twirled down the path to bow before her with a flourish. She had never seen this kid before. She held the paper out to him.

“I hope you like it.”

Kurumu forced a smile.

“Surely sweeter words have never been spoken.”

A large group of boys came into view and she immediately spied Burumoto among them. Some of the boys gasped and she could hear the murmurs.

“It’s Ms. Akashiya!”

“It’s Ms. Kurono!”

“They’re handing out fliers!”

“It’s the school paper!”

“Give me one!”

The boys swarmed past Yukari and Zukkutani to crowd in around Kurumu and Moka. It was rather intimidating as she backed up, bumping shoulders with the vampire. The shared a nervous smile as they held up their papers.

Burumoto snatched one out of her hands and grinned. He thrust it back at her.

“How about an autograph?”

“What?”

“Consider it a belated birthday present.”

“I… don’t know.”

“Unless you are reconsidering the cheerleader thing. What do you think guys?”

“Do you have a pen?!”

He chuckled, fumbling with his schoolbag a moment and handing over the pen. She promptly signed her name on it, adding a small footnote for a happy belated birthday. She did not feel guilty about declaring Burumoto Ushio her first fan. She smiled, giving it back to him.

“Is that good?”

He grinned.

“Not as good as you in a cheerleader outfit, but it will do.”

Tamaishi clapped a meaty hand on Burumoto’s shoulder, holding his other one out to her.

“Paper.”

She smirked at the boy, handing one over.

“I thought you always threw rock.”

The boy laughed heartily as he guided Burumoto aside for the rest of the throng to retrieve their wares. A couple of the boys were thumbing through the pages as the rest of the team were collecting their own.

“Hey, I remember these articles! They finally found it!”

“Looks like something actually happened with those missing girl posters.”

“Holy shit! You’re one of the girls that went missing!”

“What was it like? Did someone do horrible things to you?”

“Did they tie you up and torture you?”

The level of lechery intensified to a point that Kurumu felt it her duty to impose herself. She hopped over to Zukkutani, thrusting her arms out wide.

“Easy, easy. It’s all in the article. Give the poor girl some space.”

“Thank you, Kurumu.”

“They have a karaoke club?!”

“Oh my God! Goddess Kishi is in this school?! Do you think she’s into younger guys?”

It took some time for the soccer team to clear out, but it was only a short while before they were hit up with the baseball and basketball teams, whom had similar reactions. While the older boys appreciated Yukari’s nostalgic article and scouted the freshmen track girls, the younger boys were bombarded with the new facts about Mononoke while being dazzled with getting papers from the most notorious beauties of the first year. Moka clearly being second place. Kurumu had to replace her stack of papers at least one more time.

“What the fuck? Am I invisible?!”

Kurumu laughed at the pouting Yukari. The brat was still holding the same stack of papers she had started with.

“You’ve had some fans.”

Yukari shuddered. There had been a couple boys, likely third years, whom had chased the poor girl around the table before Morioka had shooed them away. Their heavy breathing and hand movements would have caused any normal woman to take cover. Of course, Kurumu could deflect those horny boys with a glance that had them satisfied with holding a paper she had touched.

“Kurumu. Those were pedophiles. You understand that, right?”

Kurumu grinned.

“But I thought you were a mature, young woman.”

Yukari flinched. The little witch turned angrily and smacked her pile of papers against Kurumu’s breasts. Morioka laughed as he came up behind the brat, swiping her hat.

“You need to give it up, little lady. No respectable guy is ever going to take a paper from you.”

“I see this is the educated observation of an animal well versed in male hormonal psychology.”

“Just hold them out to the girls and smile. If you open that smart mouth of yours, nobody will want your paper.”

Yukari fumed, her fists clenching the stack of papers. Smirking, Morioka dropped the hat back on her head.

“How are we doing on numbers?”

Tora glanced over the remaining boxes and tapped her notebook.

“I think we are a little over halfway.”

Morioka glanced at his watch and nodded.

“Sounds about right. Okay, it’s about to get real busy everyone. Last half hour. We close up at first bell. That’s you and me, Tsukune. The rest of you can head straight to class.”

It was about seven twenty. Kurumu warily regarded Morioka.

“You better not be thinking of doing anything to Tsukune.”

Morioka clutched his chest, feigning injury.

“Why would I ever do anything to him?”

She tensed up as a foreboding aura drifted into the area. Morioka stiffened, turning to face the path. She could hear the gasps of other students and the hushed concern in their whispers.

Kuyo strode towards them with a dozen imposing figures dressed in the black jackets of the student police. Deshi and Koike were among them, but she did not see Umizake or Meirowasa. The rest of the figures were menacing, strong and had clearly not missed a single day of weights.

Well… not exactly. There was one black haired woman with slim eyes and a tiny nose. She looked about the other students with an air of displeasure. This was most likely the Lady Hineri that Koike had mentioned. Her outfit was notably different than the ones Deshi or Meirowasa wore, having short sleeves and a zipper that cut across the front over the breast to the side before streaking down to the waist. She wore a black pencil skirt over her pale legs.

“Would you like a copy of our newspaper?”

Zukkutani grinned, holding a paper out to Kuyo. It was not that she was unaffected. Kurumu could see her body was trembling. The girl was trying hard to pass out the papers, as they had been instructed.

The blond man snatched the paper from the girl. The blonde started to give the same bow she had done to every person that had accepted a paper from her. She did not see him toss the paper aside.

He moved so fast. Kuyo dipped down, his arm sinking below the girl’s head. It shot forward as his other arm came around to the girl’s back. Twisting his hips, he pulled the girl off her feet, turned her over in the air and slammed her back to the ground with such force that the ground cratered. The remaining stack of her papers scattered about.

“Do not move, Moka!”

Morioka stepped in front of her and Yukari, thrusting his arms out wide.

“Understand me!”

Most of the students scurried off, not wanting to get involved. The other members of the student police ignored the fate of the girl. Half of them stared impassively at them, eyes cold and hardened.

“Lord Kuyo.”

“Discipline, Koike. Disperse the crowd. They are not part of this.”

The tawny haired young man stiffened. Pressing a fist to his chest, he bowed.

“Yes, Lord Kuyo. Assist me, Ms. Deshi.”

The foreigner glanced over them, a slight smile on her lips. Her eyes were barely opened, a mischievous air about her. She hopped over to Koike’s side as the pair walked down the path, loudly advising the oncoming students to ignore the altercation and hurry on to their classes.

As Kuyo approached them, the Lady Hineri knelt down by the girl. She pressed two fingers to the girl’s throat. Favoring them with a cruel smirk, she snapped her fingers. An ashen haired young man stepped up beside her, hauling the limp girl up on his broad shoulder.

Kuyo gazed upon Morioka with contempt.

“I see you are as disruptive as ever.”

Morioka's attention was fixated on Zukkutani.

“Congratulations Kuyo. You’ve made the school safer by neutralizing our illustrator.”

“Spare me your witty remarks, dog.”

“What’s your issue here? This is an approved function.”

“I don’t recall giving permission to distribute your garbage.”

“The student council approved the paper unanimously.”

“The student council are not in charge of the security of this school.”

“A copy of our paper was provided to the faculty and to your club.”

“Simply being aware of your stunt does not mean I have sanctioned it. I tire of this club interfering with my duties. Posters about the school, challenging my ability to handle the actions of a rogue psychopath. A barrier set about the school to deny me access to the grounds. And now a paper that flaunts an article about the safety and security of the school without even a mention of the PSC.”

“What was I supposed to say? You were not involved in the matter.”

“There’s not even a sentence about the urgent interview your club demanded with the Headmaster!”

Morioka flinched as Kuyo leaned in. Kurumu staggered back as Yukari collapsed to her knees. The air about him was thick and oppressive. It was astonishing Morioka could stand with Kuyo so close.

“We don’t use every bit of research we gather. I understand the interview was short and useless.”

“The only thing useless here is your club!”

Kuyo grabbed Morioka by his shirt and hauled him forward. Morioka’s body relaxed as he closed his eyes. Kuyo’s fist smashed his nose, drawing blood as their president was thrown to the ground from the sheer force of the attack.

Kurumu gritted her teeth. She lifted a hand as she stepped forward. A sharp whistle followed by a sticky wetness about her right wrist startled her. Terrified by the sudden numbness in her hand, she felt much relief to see it was still attached. A ring of white, sticky goo had wrapped about her wrist, numbing the bare skin it touched. Trying to pry it off her sleeve only caused her fingers to ache from cold.

Lady Hineri huffed, one hand holding a fine thread that connected to Kurumu’s wrist.

“Stay out of this, whore.”

“Get up, Morioka. I am not finished with you.”

“You can’t do this. Assaulting students like this.”

Morioka laughed as he slowly picked himself off the ground.

“Tora, Tora.”

He shook his head as he finally got back to his feet. His nose looked broken and his eyes were blackened.

“Who do you think we report those things to?”

“Do you understand, Morioka? Get rid of this garbage. If I catch any of your club distributing these lies, I will have your terrorist group disbanded and expelled for the safety and security of this school.”

Morioka chuckled.

“With the student council’s approval and the faculty’s blessing.”

He crossed his arms about his chest.

“I doubt you have that authority.”

Kuyo grimaced.

“Are you planning to resist me?”

“Is that what your report will say?”

Kuyo snapped out a kick that caught Morioka in the chest, sending him flying back into the table. The table cracked under Morioka’s weight, causing the chairs and the remaining boxes to scatter.

“Stop!”

Tora threw herself over Morioka’s prone form. A tense Tsukune, knelt down protectively over the two.

The woman laughed. She gestured to the man at her side and pointed to Moka. With a nod, the ashen haired brute walked over and held the girl out for Moka. The vampire quickly glanced about, worried. After a brief moment of indecision, the vampire held out her arms and accepted the unconscious girl.

Lady Hineri turned to Kuyo, grinning smugly.

“I believe we are finished here, Lord Kuyo.”

“I will say when we are finished.”

Kuyo took another menacing step forward.

“You shall destroy the rest of that filth. And I strongly advise the lot of you to join a different, more useful club that is not hell bent on making my job here difficult.”

Kuyo turned to face his men.

“We shall confiscate all copies of the paper that have been distributed thus far. I understand this may mean you will miss some, possibly all of your classes today. You have this worthless club to thank for that. I shall speak with your teachers. Dismissed!”

Kurumu was still trying to get this nasty stuff off her wrist when the PSC started their retreat. Her legs started to tremble the moment Kuyo’s presence departed. It was the same as their first encounter. Grimacing, she struggled her way over to Yukari, offering her left hand.

“You okay?”

“I will kill him.”

“Yukari.”

Yukari gasped out, her eyes watery as she pounded her fist on the ground.

“I couldn’t do anything! My legs wouldn’t move! My hands… nothing!”

“It’s… presence.”

“I know what it is! It’s this fucking body! So weak. I’ll kill him.”

Kurumu knelt down and wrapped her arms about the girl. She pulled Yukari’s head against her breasts as the girl wept tears of frustration. Taking a deep breath of her own, she regarded the shattered remains of their booth.

“Is he alive?”

A wheezed laugh answered her. Morioka shifted, pushing aside a fussy Tora. He groaned, pushing himself up into a seated position with Tsukune’s help. He glanced over to the vampire.

“Moka? Is Kana okay?”

The vampire held the blonde in her arms, gently stroking the girl’s face.

“She’s unconscious, but breathing.”

“Good.”

He coughed, a trickle of blood dribbling down his chin. A lung must have been punctured. That would take some time to heal. At least the rest of the day.

“Good.”

Tora fished a white handkerchief from her schoolbag and dabbed at the blood on his lips and nose.

“You’ll be okay, right?”

“Of course. Had the situation under control.”

Kurumu tried not to laugh as he made an A OK sign.

“Yes, perfectly. That was some impressive fight you put up there.”

Morioka laughed, but ended up coughing up more blood. He sighed.

“Come now. Going to take more than that for me to break a promise to her.”

He closed his eyes, relaxing against Tsukune.

“Morioka?”

Kurumu chuckled at Tsukune’s concern.

“He’s not dead. Recovering from injuries like that is tiring. I’m more concerned the lecher is going to make us carry him to the infirmary.”

Morioka groaned.

“At least do that for me.”

They all laughed at his expense.

* * *

The bell sounded the end of the hour. Kurumu swiftly got up from her desk.

“Kurumu!”

She ignored Moka, moving past Tsukune to bow her head as Burumoto put away his notebook and pencil. Fighting back the tightness in her throat, she choked out her apology.

“I'm sorry, Ushio. I promise I will get you something.”

The PSC had been making rounds of the classrooms, stopping by theirs during Ms. Kagome's lecture. A massive guy had stood imposing near the teacher, demanding her compliance while the redhead had methodically moved from student to student, searching their schoolbags and persons for their terrorist propaganda. Tamaishi had been foolish enough to resist and had spent most of this class hour in the infirmary.

Burumoto chuckled, waving a hand dismissively.

“Well there's always that cheerleader outfit…”

If it did not hurt so much, she would have laughed at his persistence. His broad hand rested on the top of her head.

“Seriously, don't worry about it.”

It was unfair. They had done everything right. She felt a smaller hand touch her shoulder, realizing it was Tsukune.

“Kurumu. It will be okay.”

Another hand touched her timidly.

“We should check on Yukari.”

“We're sorry for the inconvenience, Burumoto.”

Moka and Tsukune both bowed in apology. It sickened her.

Burumoto laughed off the display, excusing himself. Some of their classmates had already left and many would not look them in the eye. Even Yamabato had been deathly quiet, leaving the class without a word. There were others like Shirayuki whom were simply oblivious, having missed out on the paper. Nerume was sprawled over her desk, having slept through most of the disturbances.

Tora was sharing words with Hiboshi's trio. The auburn haired wench was giggling at Tora's repeated bows, enjoying her moment of superiority. Tora did not appear all that distressed from the conversation, offering smiles between words.

Angrily Kurumu stalked over to the front of the class and approached Tora. Hiboshi noticed her, a slight smirk touching her lips. Tora bowed again.

“I appreciate the offer, but I don't know a thing about tennis.”

“Well, well. It looks like our delinquent is agitated. Did your toy fail to satisfy you?”

Kurumu snarled, pushing by Tora and reaching for the girl. Hiboshi effortlessly stepped back, slapping Kurumu's hand aside. Annoyed she swiped again, though this time Hiboshi caught her by the wrist and held her hand firmly. The girl grinned.

“Isn't your club in enough trouble as is?”

Tora touched her shoulder.

“Kurumu.”

“We did nothing wrong!”

Hiboshi released her wrist and shrugged dismissively.

“That's not my place to decide.”

“Kurumu, we should check on Yukari.”

“Not now!”

“Kurumu. Ms. Hiboshi was just offering some club suggestions.”

“We're not quitting! Did you even read the paper?! What was wrong with it?”

Hiboshi huffed indignantly, crossing her arms about her chest.

“That is a matter with Lord Kuyo. But I agree with his thoughts on your club being nothing but a disruptive element in our school.”

“Disruptive element?! We saved the lives of several girls!”

“I read the article. The faculty handled that matter.”

Kurumu seethed, aware how much credit they had given to Mr. Nagamushi and Ms. Hitori. The only mention of their involvement was a simple sentence about reporting the location to the faculty. They had done this intentionally to better flow with Moka's article over Mr. Nagamushi's family.

Hiboshi turned about, noting the presence of Unari. Unari timidly pressed on Nerume's back, trying to rouse her for lunch.

“I believe you have been hanging around those two. Perhaps you should join one of their clubs. Take that worthless boyfriend of yours too.”

“Netsuki… be nice.”

Hiboshi regarded the nervous Irewata.

“I am being considerate, Haruhi. This troublemaker should thank me for even offering her a suggestion. In all fairness, no club should bother with her.”

She wanted to hit the girl, but her feelings were too direct. Hiboshi clearly was skilled enough to sense and deflect her attempts with ease. She might not have the same paralyzing aura of Kuyo, but she would not be a pushover.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You're a delinquent, constantly picking fights. The first week it was Ms. Akashiya and then you both assaulted the swim club.”

“They attacked us!”

“Mermaids have no interest in women. Please, don't insult my intelligence.”

“That's not how it happened!”

“Then there was the fight with class two's class rep where you joined forces with that other troublemaker. Everyone knows how barbaric that witch is.”

Kurumu winced. Yes, everybody was aware of that. The reason why Yukari had been brought up twice now was because Yukari had not taken the search and seizure quietly. The girl had been sent to the disciplinary room until the PSC could deal with her properly.

“How many days has each of your club members missed school due to injuries? Four? Five? Forget pretending to be a human school. That's not even normal by our standards.”

“That's not our fault.”

“Ms. Akashiya is a talented individual. Any club would have taken her, or Ms. Nazohashi. The rest of you are a bunch of hopeless delinquents that are dragging those two down.”

Hiboshi leveled a glare at Tora.

“My offer still stands. Even if you can't play tennis, anything is better than hanging around the newspaper club.”

The girl turned on her heel with a huff. She flicked her curls off her shoulder as she started to the back door with the silent Arashimideru and the timid Irewata in tow.

“How I ended up in this class is simply cruel. Newspaper club. As if I wanted this much attention.”

Everyone else had left the class by this point. Tsukune and Moka had wandered over, lingering by the open front door. Tora touched her shoulder again.

“We should be going.”

“Fine! We'll check up on the brat.”

Kurumu stomped out of the classroom ahead of her friends. It honestly amazed her that the three could be so passive about this. They had done nothing wrong.

They had no idea what exactly had happened to Yukari. Third period was the brat's science lab. Unari had stopped in to let them know about the girl being sent to the disciplinary room, but Mr. Nagamushi had shooed her away in order to start his class. By the way Mr. Nagamushi had worded his address to the class, he was obviously not pleased with the PSC ruining his lecture with class one.

The disciplinary room was next to the infirmary on the other side of the school. She wondered if Zukkutani and Morioka were still laid up in there. She grimaced at the thought of what that boy might do if left in a room alone with the blonde. That shameless flirt would not hesitate to capitalize on such a situation.

“I can't believe you guys. We all agree that we did nothing wrong, right?”

“Kurumu. The situation here is beyond our control.”

Tora sighed.

“Especially if the faculty won't step in for us.”

“It's not like Morioka had us throw everything away.”

This was true. Morioka had handed Tsukune the printing room keys, instructing them to take all the papers and hide the boxes in there. While they took care of the boxes, Morioka had hobbled his way to the infirmary with Zukkutani on his back. Kurumu doubted she could have done that, given his condition.

“He should have fought back.”

“I'm sure he has his reasons.”

She shook her head as they turned down the long hallway that passed by the grand foyer. They would be passing by the printing room soon.

“We should just hand the rest of them out ourselves.”

“They would just confiscate them again.”

“What if we do it in front of the teacher's lounge? The faculty would have to get involved.”

“We should ask what Senior has in mind.”

Kurumu huffed, shaking her head.

“All that boy is ever thinking about is flirting.”

Tora laughed meekly.

“He's not always like that.”

Kurumu recalled the image of him crumpled across their broken table. She knew that. There was no reason for it to have ended like that. He was a werewolf, with reflexes much faster than Hiboshi. He could have avoided both of those attacks. He had let that happen.

“He's an idiot.”

“We have the student council's permission. The student council has authority over all club activities.”

“That's correct, Moka. Kuyo's actions are out of line. If he had issue with our club, he should have addressed the student council.”

“I don't think that guy cares about proper protocol. You heard what he said. In his mind, his duties supersede the student council.”

Kurumu felt better hearing Tsukune's assessment.

“We can't throw rules at this guy, Tora. If Morioka is thinking we can win this fight without violence, we're the only ones that will end up hurt.”

“But you heard Ms. Hiboshi. A fight will only draw more attention.”

“This fight has already begun.”

“Not really. For now it looks like a disagreement between Senior and the PSC. It doesn't need to involve the rest of us.”

“What are you saying?”

“I'm saying we need to be more considerate of everyone in the club.”

Tora pointedly glanced at Tsukune. Kurumu sighed. It was not like she wanted Tsukune any more involved, but how could they pretend things would be better for Tsukune by doing nothing?

They were passing by the grand foyer with the winding staircase. She doubted Tsukune would hand over the keys to the printing room.

“You know what Kuyo did to the newspaper club's juniors, Tora. How can you think it will be different after seeing what happened this morning?”

Tora flinched, looking away.

“How much time do we have before Kuyo turns his dogs on the rest of us?”

“I'm sure Ms. Deshi-”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head.

“You think she can change things for us? The look on her face this morning did not betray any concern for our safety. At least Koike looked worried.”

Moka touched her shoulder.

“Kurumu. You should have more faith in others. Just because we don't know why Ms. Deshi behaved the way she did, does not mean she would not help us.”

“I have faith that people will do what's in their best interests. That Tora will try to do everything proper. That Yukari will do whatever she damn well pleases and that you will continue to deny my relationship with Tsukune.”

“That's not fair, Kurumu.”

“But it's true. If I were to take some papers and try handing them out, none of you would help me. I would probably have to drag Tsukune along to get him to help.”

Tsukune chuckled.

“Well… we shouldn't try to provoke the student police.”

Kurumu sighed as they neared the next hallway on her left.

“I know that. It doesn't change the fact that I can't rely on any of you to save me when I need help.”

“That's not true! Yukari and I came for you when you were in trouble.”

Kurumu winced, realizing this was true. But that was not how things played out. In the end, she had taken care of herself. She paused, regarding the agitated vampire.

“No, Moka. I saved you.”

“Kurumu…”

Turning away from Moka, Kurumu started down the elective hallway.

“I don't want to talk about this.”

She felt sick to her stomach. It was her fault the conversation had went that direction, but she hated any reminder about him. She wondered how much more time she had before that worm crawled out from whatever gutter he was hiding to give her more grief. She wanted to believe fear would keep him away, but that creep was probably too crazy to stay scared.

A hand touched her shoulder and she roughly pulled away. Her elbow was grabbed and she angrily turned upon her antagonist. She had expected Moka, but it was Tora. The girl hesitated, placing a hand on Kurumu's cheek with her thumb brushing across the tear that had started to roll down.

“Hey. I'm going to check on the two in the infirmary.”

Kurumu swallowed, pushing Tora's hand away. She nodded.

“I need you to keep those two out of trouble.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes as the other two caught up to them.

“You mean me.”

“You would be angry and insulted if I said that.”

“I still am.”

Tora let go of her elbow, favoring her with a smile.

“At least keep Ms. Sendou out of trouble. That's something I can't leave in Moka's hands.”

Kurumu smirked despite her rough emotions. She poked Moka's tit, causing the vampire to blush.

“Moka has a way of keeping Yukari's hands busy.”

Tsukune grinned a moment before quickly covering his mouth with his hand.

“Yea, you would be better suited for that Kurumu.”

Tora gestured to the back door of the disciplinary room.

“There will either be a teacher or a member of the PSC watching over her. Be respectful. Be polite. We don't want any trouble.”

The brunette pursed her lips.

“On second thought, Tsukune, you're coming with me.”

“What?”

“I'm serious. If anything was to happen, I don't want you involved.”

Kurumu scowled, but she had no argument there. Moka smiled.

“It is best if you go with her, Tsukune.”

“Fine, but we're coming to the infirmary right after checking on the brat.”

Tsukune laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head.

“Don't I have a say in this?”

Tora grabbed his other hand, tugging him as she started to leave. He stumbled but quickly fell in step.

“Come along, Tsukune.”

Kurumu followed after them with mixed feelings. Moka paused at the back door, but Kurumu quickly shook her head and gestured for the vampire to follow. It honestly made no sense to walk in through the back door, which probably dawned on the silly vampire. Even if it had not, at least Moka decided to heed her suggestion.

Her eyes lingered on Tora's hand holding Tsukune's. She felt like that should have been her responsibility. She was his girlfriend. How did she end up stuck with looking after Yukari?

Shaking her head, she stopped in front of the first door. She glanced over at Moka, nodding as she reached for the door. She slid the door aside. Other than the woman from this morning, all the desks in the room were empty.

Lady Hineri was sitting on top of the teacher's podium. She rolled her head to the side, noting their arrival. Her auburn eyes were the same as her younger sister's, though colder and more sinister. Her mouth slightly moved as if she were chewing gum.

The young woman lazily drew her narrow finger in an arc to draw their attention upwards. Hanging from the ceiling by white threads was a small struggling figure. If not for the pointed hat, they would not have been able to tell that white mass was Yukari.

Moka gasped.

“What have you done?!”

“She was being a nuisance.”

Kurumu scowled, her hands balled tightly into fists.

“Let her down!”

“Shut the door.”

“What?”

“It's rude to come in here without shutting the door behind you. This is a classroom, after all.”

Moka hopped up on a desk, reaching for the squirming Yukari. The bundle was making slight grunts and whimpers like a gagged prisoner. Kurumu gritted her teeth, resisting every urge to lunge at the woman.

“I'm not about to take orders from you.”

The woman whistled and a gossamer thread shot to the door. She brought her hand up to her cheek, rolling a finger about the end of the string. With a flick of her wrist, the door was slammed shut.

“I suppose manners from a whore is expecting too much.”

Moka whimpered, still struggling to get a good hold on Yukari. Her hands were already turning red from touching the sticky threads.

“Let her down.”

Lady Hineri grinned.

“How committed are you to defying Lord Kuyo?”

“What?”

The woman moved her hand seductively, wrapping her finger about another barely visible thread. She tugged, causing a box to sail across the room towards Kurumu. She barely moved aside when the box thudded on top of a nearby desk, its contents shifting.

“I had a feeling at least one of you would come for this problem child. There were too many witnesses when we took her in, but you two… well, we could say whatever we want.”

Kurumu glanced at the box, realizing it was a stack of their newspapers. She was confused but then realized the paper on the top had something written on it. She picked it up, her anger rising. It was the autograph she had given this morning for Burumoto.

“And even after the warning we gave you. Still trying to distribute your papers.”

“These are the papers you confiscated from the students!”

“Are they now?”

The woman yanked on the thread, causing the box to hurl back into her free hand. She grinned maliciously.

“You know, the furnace for the garbage is not far from here. Who would know the difference if I disposed of this trash?”

Still holding Burumoto’s autographed copy, Kurumu doubted this woman’s claims. While she had never seen the furnace, it had to be near the cafeteria. She frowned. Actually, she had seen that side of the school several times and the furnace was not there. Now she was confused.

“Please! She can’t breathe!”

Lady Hineri shook her head, grumbling to herself about Moka’s idiocy.

“Please!”

“And how long do you think I was able to tolerate that miserable whelp’s mouth? If she was going to suffocate, she would have expired long ago.”

Kurumu set her signed paper aside, taking a step towards the woman.

“Let her down.”

The woman grinned, her teeth sharpening into a row of fangs.

“Make me.”

Kurumu hesitated. What was this woman planning? She had seen how fast this woman could shoot her restraining threads. It was clear that Lady Hineri could have immobilized both of them by now. Was there a limit to the number of threads the woman could control? That would explain some things, but the way she had spoken about the papers and the furnace and framing them… that was an orchestrated plan. Too orchestrated for her to put herself in such a disadvantage if she could not handle the two of them.

“I’m waiting, whore.”

A fight. She wanted a fight. But she had acted like she could do anything and explain it away later. Why not start the fight and lie about whom started it?

Kurumu backed away a step. This was not right. She was missing something. She let her tail slink out of her skirt, thinking it might be the only way to figure things out.

Lady Hineri’s head tilted on its side at an unnatural angle. Her eyes started glowing red. Her lips pulled back further in a grotesque grin as she stood up on the podium. She unbuttoned her jacket, revealing the smooth pale skin beneath. Black, needlelike spindles eased out from the sides of her belly.

“Oh, you are smarter than you look. You see it now.”

The image of the classroom flickered. It was much darker, with white threads everywhere. She jerked aside, but felt much resistance. Gossamer threads had been wrapped about her legs. They tightened when she tried to move.

Moka was standing on a desk, with threads wrapped all about her. She was making small hops, still looking up at the ceiling. There was nothing there at all.

“About fucking time you snapped out of it.”

An angry Yukari sat across the room in the first seat by the windows. She had a hand up with two glowing fingers extended. Any threads that wandered too close to her upper torso were incinerated.

The creature Lady Hineri had become chuckled from the podium. Her body had extended into a long, shiny black thorax with a white belly. Six legs gripped the podium while the back two moved back and forth, spinning webs.

“A pity you didn’t struggle more. It would have made subduing you less difficult.”

A thread snaked out, tightening about her ankle. She cried out as she was pulled off her feet. She turned on her belly, trying to grab for a desk, but another strand snaked about her wrist. Her skin stung where it touched the cold, sticky thread.

“Kurumu! You’re going to have to use it!”

She could not do much of anything as she was hauled back to the podium with enough force to knock the wind out of her. Her right arm was yanked behind her to the podium’s side while her left leg was pulled on the other side. Making her fingers into talons, she swiped up at the leering visage, but her other forearm was snagged after the second attempt, pinned firmly in place by more of those cold, sticky webs.

“You could have played with the illusion, but now you have to feel real pain. Nothing personal.”

“Kurumu!”

Kurumu whipped her tail up, opening the spade petals. She bent it over, pressing it against her ear. She winced, bracing for pain, but nothing happened. Her body still ached and was wrapped about this podium. She wiggled her tail, confused.

The monster cackled over her, mandibles clicking.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s not working!”

“You have the wrong ear, idiot.”

Well that was embarrassing. Flush, she drifted her parted tail end over to her other. Tensing her body, she pressed her shimmering stigma against her ear. It still did not feel right. Pressing the tail harder to her ear had no impact. Nothing was going in.

A leg as sharp as a blade pressed to her throat.

“I don’t understand what game you two are playing, but hear me, witch. You will drop your pesky spell or I will relieve this girl of her head.”

“Why aren’t you doing it?!”

Kurumu whimpered, angry and in pain.

“Why don’t you do something?!”

“I can’t. The moment I drop this spell she will overwhelm me.”

“What about her threads? Aren’t they a part of her? Can’t you use them to control her body?”

Lady Hineri laughed, pressing the blade tighter till she could feel wetness dripping from her throat.

“Oh, she tried. I borrowed a little trinket from my pet, Ms. Deshi. It works nicely to disrupt such curses.”

Yukari chuckled with a mischievous grin.

“That poor girl took a nasty tumble for you. You should be grateful.”

The monster growled, her eyes flashing.

“Don’t laugh, bitch! Drop your spell. It’s you I want.”

“Why would I do something that stupid? You will kill us both.”

The woman laughed maliciously.

“Maybe not. I could let you live after killing these two. Let you live, knowing you did nothing. Yes, that sounds fitting.”

“You would not leave a witness-“

“You think you’re testimony frightens me, child. It was a fight, three on one. Killing two would be seen as self-defense.”

Yukari flinched.

“Yes, letting you live is far more torturous. These two came for you. Care for you. They will die for you.”

The little girl trembled. She lowered her hand, the glow dissipating. Ropes of threads slipped on each other, drifting about the desk ends. It sounded like a horde of snakes, slithering across the floor.

Lady Hineri abandoned her perch, skittering along the threads towards her new prey. Threads wrapped about Yukari’s body, spooling about to pin her to the desk. Her hands were secured to the desk by the time the beast arrived.

Kurumu struggled, but could not move from the podium. The thick bonds would not budge with her efforts as she had no leverage. Only her tail could move about, and she did not dare use it against those sticky threads.

Moka was practically a cocoon. She was no longer able to hop, as her legs had been wrapped firmly to the desk she stood upon. The white weave was up to her neck, her arms still outstretched to the ceiling.

“Yes, child. A club is your family. We all know how important family is.”

Yukari cried out as a leg pierced through her shoulder, pinning her to the desk as her head was slammed upon the surface. The beast hovered over her, mandibles clacking near the back of her neck.

“My baby sister is very special to me. Her pain is my pain.”

She smashed Yukari’s head against the desk again.

“And now, it’s yours.”

Yukari cried out as another leg pierced her back. The girl wheezed, panting in agony.

Lady Hineri rubbed her large head against the back of Yukari’s. Her black tongue slipped out, caressing the small girl’s ear.

“I’ve never killed anyone before. You should feel honored.”

A pain shot through Kurumu’s head. A blaze struck up, coursing along the white threads that filled the room. The tongues of flame licked up every last bit of the sticky threads, leaving the room as barren as when she had first arrived. She cocked her head, regarding the other occupants.

Lady Hineri was hovering over a trembling, bloodied Yukari, but she had reverted to her human form. The woman spun about, confused. Her hands were sharpened like talons, dripping with blood.

“How dare you!”

Kurumu had barely registered Moka when the vampire launched across the room to hit the woman with such force that sent her back over the desk Yukari was cradling in her tiny arms. The silver haired demon grabbed Yukari by her shoulders, hauling her out of the desk.

Lady Hineri scooted back on her butt, holding her cheek. Her eyes were wide with alarm.

“I don’t understand. What’s going on?”

“Moka!”

Yukari wrapped her arms tightly about the silver haired woman, her body still shaking. The vampire stiffened. After a moment she smiled, gently stroking her fingers across Yukari’s hair.

There was a whistle and a thread wrapped around Moka’s left elbow. Lady Hineri grinned as she got back to her feet, moving her hand about the thread and tugging on the vampire.

“Whatever. You still can’t escape my threads.”

Moka whipped her forearm about, grabbing the thread. Letting Yukari go, she turned to face the woman, reaching out with her other hand for the strand.

“I think you’re mistaken.”

Moka grabbed the thread and tugged, causing the woman to stumble.

“It’s you who can’t escape.”

Lady Hineri dropped the thread, holding her hands up.

“Very well. I surrender.”

“It’s three to one. What about your self-defense?”

The woman grinned, backing away as the vampire approached. She kept retreating till she was trapped in a corner.

“You really shouldn’t hurt me. It will only make things worse for your club.”

Lady Hineri’s lips turned into a sly grin.

“Are you that intent on starting a war with Lord Kuyo?”

“What are you talking about? We just happened upon you while you were suffering a seizure. It was a good thing we were here to hurry you over to the infirmary.”

Moka slammed one hand so hard against the wall that the cinderblock buckled. The Lady Hineri flinched, lifting her hands to cover her face.

“A request then? Not the face.”

“Granted.”

Moka struck the woman in the chest hard. The woman buckled in half, collapsing to her knees. She retched on the floor, pitching to the side. Moka did not hesitate to level a kick to the woman’s midsection, causing ribs to audibly crack as her limp body smashed into the wall.

Moka took a deep breath, stepping back. She ran her fingers through her hair, regarding the still body. She turned her gaze to Kurumu.

“You need to let us out now.”

Kurumu blinked, feeling like everything was hazy.

“Wait, Moka. I need more time to analyze the environment.”

Moka shook her head, walking sternly towards Kurumu. The seriousness in those crimson eyes was worrisome, but the vampire placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Right now, in the real world, the four of us are helpless in that classroom. If anything happens to you, we all die.”

Kurumu felt light headed, touching her temple.

“What?”

“I’m serious, Kurumu. This is a dangerous thing you are doing. Let us out.”

“I don’t really know how.”

Yukari laughed.

“You could always lock those lips again.”

Moka smirked.

“That shouldn’t be necessary.”

The silver haired vampire lifted her hand from Kurumu’s shoulder to brush across her cheek. Then Moka stepped in, pulling Kurumu close and pressing her head to Moka’s breast. The vampire took in a deep breath, patting the top of Kurumu’s head.

“You’re safe now. Everyone’s safe.”

Kurumu felt her body relax, returning the hug. She did feel much better.

“Nobody is here to hurt you.”

Kurumu winced at the pain in her head. She was leaned back on the podium, her tail drawing away from the side of her head. She could feel the blood dripping down the side of her cheek.

Yukari was getting up from a nearby desk. The witch pushed aside a dazed Lady Hineri, ignoring how hard the woman struck the floor. The woman’s eyes were rolled back in her head as a white froth rimmed her lips.

Yukari groaned, favoring a shoulder that was still bleeding. Her blouse was torn and stained with blood. She staggered over in Kurumu’s direction.

The sound of shoes tapping against the top of desk stopped.

“Why am I standing on a desk?”

* * *

Kurumu sighed, poking her butt out as she attempted to lean on the broom. This time the cleanup duties actually were hers. Tora was chatting with Moka as the vampire finished up with the blackboard. Most of their classmates had quietly left the room in the first couple minutes after the dismissal. It was obvious their club was being given a wide berth.

She was disappointed that the autographed paper had been part of Hineri's illusion. She had no idea what had happened to all the confiscated papers. It was quite possible that they had been burned in the furnace that wicked woman had spoken of. All she knew was that the woman had to have seen that specific paper in order to use it in her illusion. Yukari had assured her of that.

Tora had panicked when she had returned with Tsukune to the disciplinary room, fretting over why they had attacked a member of the PSC. The pink Moka had no clue what had happened, confused how Yukari had been injured and was not stuck in a bundle of white goo. Yukari had tried to stick with silver Moka’s claim about finding Lady Hineri in this state, but it made no sense with how she had been in the disciplinary room to begin with. Kurumu had tried to come up with a better story, but failed. Yukari eventually caved in, admitting Hineri had captured the other two in an illusion world which allowed her the freedom to retaliate. It was as good a story as any.

It was difficult to say how long it would take Lady Hineri to recover. A physical injury would heal with a monster's natural regeneration. But this had been a direct assault to Hineri's mind. While Yukari had acted all self-righteous about the woman deserving her mind shattering curse, Kurumu was frightened. It had not been her intent to make the woman into a vegetable.

Her thoughts had drifted to the fate of Nagare several times since then. She realized there was no way the boy had left under his own power. Being in the computer lab, they would have noticed anyone being taken to the infirmary. There was a strong possibility that a faculty member had brought the helpless boy to the hospital.

Or maybe that demented mind of his had recovered. She hated these worries.

It had been a painfully quiet day in home economics. Meirowasa had confirmed her complete ignorance about what the PSC was doing. As a trainee, she had not been asked to participate in the morning debacle. She had heard about the assault during her science lab right before her class had underwent the search process of third period.

Gym had not been much better. There had been a lot of whispered conversations carried out on the sidelines. It had not bothered her class enough to lose to class two. Sunao's homeroom only had eight or nine girls in it to begin with, depending on if someone wanted to count Yukari. With Deshi and the younger Hineri both absent, there literally were no girls on the sidelines. Not even their athletic Hazumi had been interested in playing.

“Kurumu?”

She smiled, easing off the handle. She swept the small pile of debris into the pan Tsukune was holding. She was mildly disappointed he had not attempted to make use of his position. Just because they were having an issue with the student police should not mean he would have zero interest in her panties. They were the cute lavender ones with the white dots and pink lace.

As he walked away with the dustpan to the trashcan, Kurumu noted that Hiboshi had inexplicably remained at her desk. The girl was relaxed in her seat, resting her cheek in a palm while regarding Moka and Tora. It was unusual to see the girl alone.

“I don't like this.”

Tsukune favored her with a quizzical look as he neared. She wordlessly handed over the broom, annoyed with his sudden dazed expression. She wondered if Ms. Sasayaki would have a cure for this nuisance. She did not want to spend the rest of her life dodging direct eye contact.

As Tsukune put away the cleaning things, Kurumu walked over to Hiboshi. The auburn haired girl leaned back in her seat, turning yellow eyes upon her. She brought her arm in under her breasts while the other hand flicked an errant auburn lock near her right ear.

“So why are you still here?”

“I hope to appeal to your club leader's sensibilities. It's not like this school needs a newspaper club.”

Kurumu seethed at the remark, clenching her fists.

“Good luck with that. You think Morioka is going to back down after what the PSC did today? They are out of line.”

“What's out of line is your behavior. Moments after telling you directly how troublesome you are to your friends, you run off to pick a fight with my friend's sister.”

“That's not what happened!”

Hiboshi's usual composure vanished as her lips turned up in a snarl.

“Then what did! I've known the Hineri sisters since I was four! They may be a couple manipulative little shits but that's no reason to send Keito to the hospital!”

Hiboshi gestured at Kurumu's shoulder. Her sweater and shirt were stained with blood. She had been encouraged to take a shower in the gym lockers before attending her science lab. It had cleaned up her hair, but she had not been allowed to go home for a change of clothes.

“The older sister attacked us because of what Yukari did to the younger one.”

“Ridiculous. Everybody knows the Sendou girl was taken for causing trouble during the inspection. If Keito wished to harm that girl, she would have done so long before you showed up.”

Kurumu scowled, aware that Tora and Moka had come over to defuse things. Crossing her arms below her breasts, she turned her back on the girl.

“Do either of you know when Morioka is coming? This idiot thinks she can convince our idiot to disband the club.”

Tora bowed slightly.

“I'm sorry, Ms. Hiboshi. He may need more time for recovery. I can pass along your concerns.”

“My concerns is that I have four of my classmates trying their hardest to get themselves killed. I want the normal school life that humans have. That's what we were promised.”

Tsukune laughed sheepishly.

“That's what we all want, Ms. Hiboshi.”

Hiboshi shot up on her feet, grabbing Tsukune by the collar.

“You don't know what he's like!”

Kurumu angrily grabbed Hiboshi by the shoulder, but the girl quickly released Tsukune to push Kurumu's hand aside. Hiboshi trembled with emotion as she glanced aside to the floor.

“You didn't grow up in his shadow.”

“I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. When we bring this up to the student council, Kuyo will be reminded-”

“That won't matter, Ms. Akashiya. He will find a reason to do what he wants. He will make one.”

“-want me to carry you?”

“Don't touch me.”

Kurumu felt her body relax at the sounds of the familiar voices in the hall.

“It looks like you could use a little pick me up.”

“You just want to cop a feel.”

“You don't have anything to feel.”

“Of course I have something to feel. I'm eleven, not six.”

“Oh, I couldn't tell. Maybe I should rub them a bit so they grow faster.”

“That's sexual harassment.”

Morioka chuckled as he darted into the room with both hands in his pockets. He cocked his head, noting their little gathering. He grinned.

“Give the lady some space, guys. It looks like you're about to mug her.”

Kurumu chuckled, backing up so that her butt touched the nearby desk. She gestured for Tsukune to do the same, but he drifted over to Hiboshi's side of the aisle instead.

“Ms. Hiboshi was wanting to talk to you about our club.”

“A prospective new member? They do say that only the strongest stars shine in the face of adversity.”

Hiboshi rolled her eyes while shaking her head. She brushed by Tsukune as she lifted her schoolbag from her desk and rested the strap on her shoulder. She stalked down the aisle where Morioka waited.

“Morioka Ginei. I heard quite a bit about you over the break. Isn't it irresponsible to drag several first years into your quarrel?”

Yukari walked into the classroom, rubbing her shoulder. There was notable redness about her downcast eyes.

“So you must be the cousin Ms. Nekonome mentioned. Interesting. I see violence runs in the family.”

The way Hiboshi flinched reminded Kurumu that this was not his first meeting with the girl. The last time Morioka had challenged them over beating Tsukune down for suspected peeping.

Hiboshi huffed, turning her nose away. She headed for the door.

“I hope you are proud of yourself.”

“You know. We may not get to choose the families we are born into, but my club will always have a place for a lovely young lady.”

Hiboshi paused at the doorway, glancing back at him with notable disgust.

“Good luck to you, Mr. Morioka.”

Morioka chuckled as the girl departed.

“Could you dial down the creep factor a little?”

Kurumu shook her head as she walked over to Yukari. She absently reached over to grab the girl by the shoulders, pulling Yukari's head to her breasts. Yukari immediately resisted, trying to push on her stomach.

“I don't need your tits in my face!”

Kurumu chuckled, relaxing her grip.

“I'm sorry. You looked like you were crying.”

“How does that translate to a need for me motorboating?”

Kurumu frowned.

“What?”

“Nevermind. A child like you wouldn't understand.”

Morioka laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“She got all weepy over the little Hineri's antics. It probably would have ended up in a fight if Ms. Tsumugi had not intervened.”

“She attacked us. She forfeited her right to live.”

“I understand that, kid, but things aren't always black and white. I even felt bad with how that girl took to her sister being in that state.”

Kurumu rubbed the back of Yukari's head, glad she had not been there. Having suffered through her own emotional outbursts, she could imagine what sort of fit the younger Hineri had thrown.

“Is Lady Hineri going to be fine?”

“They moved her to the regular hospital, mostly because her sister would not shut up.”

“How is Kana doing, Ginei?”

Kurumu glanced at Moka, whom was regarding Morioka expectantly.

“I sent Kana home and advised her to keep clear of the school for the rest of the week.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Are you sure that's a good thing? She's missed a lot of school already.”

“I'm aware of that, but I can't have her here right now. We don't know what the student police will do next. Unlike the rest of you, she's in a class by herself.”

“I'm in a class by myself.”

Morioka smirked, regarding the witch.

“Yea, the quadruple A class.”

Yukari twisted and squirmed angrily about in her arms, but Kurumu tightened her grip. The girl huffed indignantly, crossing her arms about her chest.

“I can speak with Mr. Unsei about her assignments. I understand he has computer class after ours.”

“You don't have to do that, Tora. I can have Aku pass them over to Moka.”

Kurumu smiled, glad with how quickly Tsukune responded. Morioka sighed, gesturing to them.

“I feel like a scolding would be a waste of time. I want the five of you to stick together.”

“Huh?”

“I don't care if that means eating, sleeping and showering together.”

Kurumu smirked at the sudden flush in Tsukune's cheeks. Tora and Moka were not much better.

“Uh… I'm in the boys' dorm.”

Morioka chuckled.

“I was meaning Kana, Tsukune. You're on your own after school hours.”

Kurumu giggled at the look of relief that crossed Tora and Moka's faces. Tsukune’s disappointment was unmistakable.

“Oh… right.”

“If anything happens at all, I want you to use that whistle, Moka. Not only will I respond to it, but a lot of others will hear it. We want attention and witnesses. We need to stall things out long enough for the student council to get properly involved.”

“So that's your plan? You're putting everything on the student council?”

Morioka shrugged.

“We have to. Since we had their blessing, this is now an issue of the student police ignoring the will of the student council. I don't get the impression that our President Kaneshiro will roll over simply because Kuyo demands it. He's a stickler for the rules, and this time the student police are in the wrong. We will get the right to distribute our papers.”

“What about the confiscated papers?”

“Tough to say. We will be reimbursed if the student police threw them away.”

The familiar sound of a crop striking a palm made her wince.

“Well, well, Ms. Kurono. I believe we have an appointment.”

Kurumu shuddered, pulling Yukari closer. She laughed nervously as Ms. Kagome walked over to her.

“Oh, Ms. Kagome. About that… you see… we have a small issue in which I can't be alone.”

She winced as the teacher reached over to pinch her by her good ear. The woman tugged gently.

“No excuses. That was the agreement.”


	32. United Effort

Kurumu tried her best not to look too distracted as Ms. Sunao politely murmured her course material. It was hard to keep focus due to that message Ms. Nekonome had passed along at the start of the day. Her test results were in and Ms. Sasayaki wanted to speak to her during lunch. It felt like that discussion would be so much more important for her future than any academic lessons covered today.

She had given some thought about what they were hoping to find in her spit and other fluids. With the rumor of her making humans into slaves, they were probably looking for some trace of a hypnotic drug like what Ms. Kagome was using for those troublesome math sessions. If this ended up true, that would put kissing into the same annoying category of avoiding direct eye contact. It would not be harmful, but a nuisance nonetheless.

Thinking of her allure, she felt that needed to be further discussed and analyzed. Yukari had brought up the possibility that it might not be limited to her gaze. She wanted to demonstrate exactly how it worked, and maybe that would bring about a more agreeable theory about the nature of her charm.

There was also this new thing with her tail that she wanted to share. That fight with Lady Hineri had shown how poorly she understood this ability. She had bled like a punctured bucket for a good two to three minutes. That crimson trickle had definitely been from her ear, so Yukari was right about the placement. She kind of wanted to know if using this ability too much could damage her brain. Even monsters had limits to what they could regenerate from when subjected to repeated injury and abuse.

She glanced aside at Moka, smiling upon noting the silver whistle dangling from her wrist. The vampire had spent the night in Zukkutani’s room, mostly due to Tora’s insistence. Tora had insisted that the trio follow Morioka’s advice to the letter. Yukari had ducked out under the premise of needing to clean up the mess they had left her apartment in.

Ms. Kagome had promised to personally escort her home after last night’s session. She assumed that had happened. Everything after the start of her tutoring was a blank. Ms. Kagome must have decided playing escort meant she did not need to tone down the dosage. Her stomach had been a stronger demand to wake up than any alarm could have managed. It was not like they had salvaged any time for lunch after the trouble with Lady Hineri.

It was Thursday. How did they get to Thursday already? Assuming this whole thing with the student police cleaned itself up, she wondered how soon Morioka would push for them to release another paper. She hoped he would give them a little more time as it felt like they had lost this whole week. They had yet to discuss future articles.

The tension in the air from yesterday had passed. The conversation in the breakfast hall had been as normal as any other day, most of their peers paying them no mind. The student police had done their thing and to most it was a done issue. She imagined only a few knew about the incident with Lady Hineri. She imagined the younger sister had only been told out of politeness with Hiboshi somehow finding out because the girl was her friend. For some reason, Kurumu felt like Hiboshi would not spread rumors about this.

What had they talked about this morning? They had brought Zukkutani along, though the girl had gone back to the dorms afterwards. It was like they had all quietly agreed not to talk about the student police or the club and had talked about each other instead. Mostly it had been rehashing old information because Zukkutani was new to the group.

Tora and Zukkutani had brought up the topic of summer festivals and the things their families did over summer break. Tora assumed she would be spending her break with her parents and that they would do their usual things with her mother’s extended family. There was not a whole lot of her kind in Japan, so they normally got together at her great grandfather’s home in Kyoto and would attend the Kameoka Peace Festival.

Zukkutani seemed to have relatives all over the Chubu region. Last year she had spent her summer with her cousin in Hokuto. They had spent a day at an amusement park, Fuji-Q, and had ended the week at some Sunflower Festival in Akeno Village. She had mentioned how silly humans were about such things when there were other sunflower fields in the same district that were equally impressive, but would be plowed over for the sake of progress.

There had not been much for her or Moka to add. Other than turning sixteen, there was nothing likely to happen for her. Mother had never been big on participating in the human festivals even when Kurumu had been little. Last summer had been her first festival, which had been a local thing for their small monster community. She had only seen fireworks on the television before they had moved to Kengamine. Naturally human services like television, phone and internet did not extend to hidden monster villages. They were lucky they had power and water, though these were not connected to the human services.

Moka had a little more to share about her summer experiences. Her mother had visited a couple times over the years with Moka’s sisters in tow. They would go to some private summer gathering at the Shuzen estate which involved many people in formal wear. She had not been allowed to be seen by anyone, but she would watch the fireworks with her little sister.

Tsukune, whom had been around for most of this conversation, had nothing special to add. His cousin would drag him off to the Hanagaza Festival if he did not manage to make plans with his friends. The conversation drifted into talk about his cousin, though he shared nothing that she did not know.

She was wearing school slippers today. It had been an impulsive decision to bring the things to school. She could not imagine relations getting any worse with her peers, so her outdoor shoes were abandoned in a cubby at the front of the school. The slots were not assigned, but there were specific sections for each class. She had used the one next to Moka’s, Tora having reassured her that there would be no issue if the cubby was empty.

She glanced at her wrist, noting there was only a few minutes left before they would start the whole algebraic nonsense. She wished this day would move a bit faster. She heard the back door drawn open.

“Pardon the intrusion, Ms. Sunao, but I am here to collect a student.”

Kurumu dropped her mechanical pencil, the utensil rolling across her desk to tumble to the floor. Her chest tightened as she watched Kuyo stride into the room. The two young men that had searched their room yesterday stood calmly at the door. The massive one with the shoulder length hair that hid his right eye held his arms across his chest. The redhead youth with the widow's peak sneered at them, brushing his fingers through his garnet locks about his ear.

Hiboshi slipped free of her desk, quickly moving to Kuyo’s side. The blond man frowned as the girl pushed him gently.

“I have class now, Lord Kuyo. Can this not wait?”

The backhand that struck the girl startled everyone. Nerume shot up in her seat, her eyes blinking as she finally became aware of the situation. Tamaishi stood up from his desk, but looked away from Kuyo’s glare.

“When I want your attention, I will have it.”

Hiboshi cupped her mouth and nose, backing away. She nodded, a rivulet of crimson spilling over her fingers.

“I am here for Mr. Aono.”

“Mr. Kuyo, please. Allow me to finish my lecture.”

“Your lecture is finished, Ms. Sunao. You may go to your next class.”

“Mr. Kuyo-”

“Leave!”

The force that dampened the room could be felt by everyone in the class. Some of the boys that had half stood up were pressed back to their seats. Being so close to the source, the large Tamaishi was brought to his knees. Shirayuki had lowered to her desk, hugging herself tightly.

The trembling, tiny teacher nodded, scurrying back to the podium to gather her things. As she hurried out the front door, Kuyo turned his attention back to Tsukune.

“Stand up, Mr. Aono. You shall be coming with us.”

Tsukune tensed up, clutching his desk tightly. A stiff Burumoto turned in his seat, reaching back to pat Tsukune on the shoulder.

“What do you want with him?”

A second oppressive wave bore down upon them. Kurumu gagged, noting the strained look on Moka’s face. She motioned for Moka’s wrist.

“Who are you to question the student police?”

“Burumoto Ushio. His classmate.”

“Well… Burumoto Ushio. I have reason to believe Mr. Aono is a threat to the safety and security of this school.”

Burumoto chuckled. Kuyo darted over next to Tsukune’s desk, yanking the large boy by the collar from his seat. He glared down at Burumoto.

“Does this amuse you?”

“No Sir.”

A sharp whistle cut through the air. Moka puffed her lips a second time, drawing Kuyo’s annoyance. He shoved Burumoto back in his seat.

“What are you doing?”

“What I told her to do.”

Morioka was standing by Nerume’s desk, apparently having slipped by the two door guards with ease. He ran his fingers over his ear, brushing the bandana about his dark locks. The bell for the end of class sounded.

“I see the dog comes running when it’s called.”

Morioka glanced about the room, taking note of Hiboshi and Tamaishi.

“What’s this about?”

“This young man is an enemy of our school.”

Morioka rolled his eyes.

“And here I thought you would come because the witch hurt one of your group.”

“I could care less about the petty squabbles of that woman. If she could not handle her own against a child, she has no place in the student police.”

“Yea, I can see how you treat your women.”

Kuyo scowled. He seized Tsukune by the back of his jacket, hauling him from his desk. Tsukune staggered, trying to keep weight on his feet.

“Do you admit to harboring this criminal?”

Morioka snorted.

“Criminal? The only thing Tsukune is guilty of is stealing all the girls away from me.”

He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Maybe you should take him away.”

“Don’t play ignorant with me, dog. Did you know about his treachery and fail to report it to the proper authorities?”

Kurumu staggered up on her feet. It was so hard to move but she managed to push a palm to his chest, trying to impose herself between Kuyo and Tsukune.

“What are you talking about? Let Tsukune go.”

“Sit down, child!”

Kurumu fell back, missing her seat and hitting the floor. Helplessly she watched as Kuyo dragged Tsukune with him towards Morioka.

“Did you know, Morioka?”

Morioka glanced aside.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Are you trying to pin something on Tsukune? Another terrorist attack carried out by some fake organization that doesn’t exist?”

“You think you’re clever, but you’re just a spineless cur.”

Kuyo pushed Morioka aside and headed for the door.

“I’ve known about Tsukune.”

Morioka sighed heavily as Kuyo turned to regard the defiant vampire.

“I’ve known about Tsukune since the first day of school.”

Kuyo gestured for the two at the door.

“Then you shall accompany us, Ms. Akashiya. I’m sure your testimony shall be invaluable to us.”

Morioka chuckled as the two moved past Kuyo to apprehend Moka.

“Testimony? Is that the polite way of saying what you do?”

“You’re more than welcome to come along.”

“Can I at least have a word with my junior before you testimony her?”

Kuyo grinned. He hauled on Tsukune’s shoulder, walking away. Morioka turned to the pair that were flanking Moka.

“Can I have some privacy with the lady?”

The big one shook his head sternly. Morioka sighed.

“You sure about this? They’re likely to execute the two of you.”

“I’ll be with Tsukune. Everything will be fine.”

Morioka sighed again, rubbing the back of his head.

“Don’t say anything stupid. I’ll figure something out.”

“Thanks Ginei.”

Moka hugged him. It was only a short moment before the reddish haired one tugged on Moka’s arm to break the embrace. With a cruel smile, the guy escorted Moka out of the room with his large companion following behind.

Her legs were still trembling, but Kurumu managed to get to her feet. She started for the door, but Morioka snatched her upper arm.

“Hold up.”

“What do you mean hold up? We have to go after them.”

He let her go, shaking his head.

“We can’t risk all of us being thrown in their dungeon right now.”

Yukari poked her head around the corner. She looked at them and then looked back over her shoulder. She gestured for Kurumu to follow.

“We have to think this through and come up with a plan. Kuyo’s not going to execute them right away. He’ll torture them first-”

Kurumu headed off, not really caring to hear the rest of his reasoning. They did not have time to waste.

* * *

Kurumu looked down the path, feeling intimidated. Every so many feet another torii had been erected as the walkway moved further and further up the forested hillside. She imagined some shrine stood at the end of this trail.

Yukari had been amused at the quick stop at the front entrance to swap out their shoes. She had guided them off to the east side of the campus. While they had not seen the trio that had taken Moka and Tsukune, Yukari led her across the clearing with complete confidence.

They had walked over to the collection of buildings that flanked the path that would take them to the faculty parking lot. She had no idea what those four buildings were used for, but three of them were decent sized warehouses. She supposed the school had enough junk to make use of these things. The last looked like it could be some sort of greenhouse, though only the roof was glass. She wondered if that culture elective was taught there, as the juniors had mentioned it involved gardening.

They had turned north and she had finally seen the art building. It was a small home, possibly the former residence of a grounds caretaker. She had glanced off to her left, noting the slight trail carved in the grass by the passing of many students. It went to the staircase near the small gym.

They had kept walking north around the edge of the archery shooting range before finally coming to this path. As they passed by the first of the torii, Kurumu wondered if there were any other major landmarks on the school grounds she did not know about. She supposed she had yet to see the junior dorms.

She was surprised and disappointed that Morioka had not followed them. It was not like their pace would have mattered to a werewolf and Yukari was walking slower to avoid being seen by the student police. He was not here because he felt there was a better way and that was worth risking the lives of Tsukune and Moka. They did not have time for these politics.

“So… what's the plan?”

She glanced down at the tense Yukari. The little girl was taking smaller steps as they continued, forcing Kurumu to slow her pace.

“What do you mean? I'm following you.”

“I couldn't let them walk away with Moka.”

“What about your magic?”

Yukari stopped, biting her lip.

“In theory I should be able to hold my own. In practice…”

Kurumu nodded, curious about Yukari's power. She knew witches had a way of commanding energy that annoyed other monster races, but she had yet to see anything powerful from Yukari. The girl could move inanimate objects, apply curses and place enchantments. Even if Yukari managed to keep her footing in Kuyo's presence, she could not imagine the witch capable of controlling Kuyo the way she had Tsukune.

“I'm sure you can do this, Yukari.”

Yukari stared at her.

“It's not that simple. I should have been able to beat the older Hineri without the two of you getting involved.”

“Well… she had that trinket.”

“That only stopped me from taking over her body. I was so angry and wanting to get back at Kuyo that I did not properly register the older Hineri as a threat. I thought she would just hold me until Kuyo came, and then… well I had a lot of things I thought I would do.”

“Like what?”

“I don't see the point in elaborating the possibilities with a child. I doubt you would understand the physics and chemistry involved.”

Kurumu's brow twitched in annoyance.

“Then why didn't you do something with Hineri? You were just sitting at your desk, holding your fingers like a candle in the night.”

“Spells take time to cast. I need an enchanted item with spells programmed into it to be able to fight as quickly as a monster can use their talents.”

“Sounds like you were unprepared.”

“Not at all. Any item can be enchanted. My hat. The broach of my cloak. I was quite prepared to fight Kuyo.”

“Then why didn't you do something?”

Yukari sighed, shaking her head.

“The spell she wanted me to drop was a defensive spell that was not part of my plan. In my haste, I was tapping from my own life force. Unlike the rest of you monsters, a witch doesn't have a huge pool of spiritual energy to draw from. That's why we have to borrow it from our surroundings. How much energy do you think my pathetic eleven year old body has to offer? I was lucky to have held her off as long as I did.”

“Why didn't you pull from your surroundings?”

Yukari sighed. The girl resumed the march up the path, prompting Kurumu to follow.

“I was cut off. Since they confiscated my glasses before handing me over to Hineri, I walked into the same illusion spell you idiots did. While I was sitting there, contemplating my options on how I would destroy Kuyo, I realized the settings for my spells stored in my hat and cape were wrong. The flow of energy was not normal. It took drawing on my own spirit to dispel her illusion. By then, my legs were already held in place and everything about me was covered in her webs.”

“But once you were out of the illusion, you should have been fine.”

“I panicked.”

Kurumu frowned.

“That's it?”

“Yes. I wish I had some great reason why I couldn't have done more, but my mind switched over to pure defense and survival.”

“But you tried to use your curse on her.”

“While in her illusion. There was no time to try it afterwards. I was too concerned with keeping her webs off me.”

Kurumu sighed as it looked like they were nearing the top of the hill.

“Kurumu… I'm hoping you will do most of the fighting.”

Kurumu laughed.

“I don't know how great I will be. Kuyo doesn't seem to be phased at all by my allure. I might be able to do something with the rest of his group. Maybe even convince them to join our cause.”

“You could also use that.”

Kurumu's thoughts wandered to her new ability.

“I don't think we should rely on that.”

“You heard what she said. Everyone is helpless in the real world when you do that. If you can pull Kuyo into that, we can easily win this fight.”

“And who is going to keep Kuyo busy while I'm fumbling with my tail? It's not like we can pause the fight over technical difficulties.”

Yukari laughed.

“Please stand by. We're sorry for the inconvenience.”

Kurumu smiled, stepping in close to rest her hand on Yukari's far shoulder.

“Hopefully it doesn't come to that.”

“Just make sure you leave one of us out so that we can deal with Kuyo.”

“I barely understand what I'm doing.”

“That's not a surprise.”

Part of her wanted to wring the little brat's neck. Instead she pulled the girl up in a hug. This time Yukari did not struggle, her tense body relaxing against Kurumu. She would have patted the girl on the head if that silly hat was not in the way.

“Saying your goodbyes before throwing your lives away?”

Kurumu scowled, glancing behind them. Morioka was standing atop a torii, with one hand in his pocket and the other touching the shoulder of his companion.

If he had meant to look cool, the moment was a lost cause with Tora wavering till her balance was steady. Clutching her schoolbag, the class rep lowered onto her haunches, placing her other hand on the top of the gate. She eased herself over the edge, feet dangling as she slowly lowered herself enough to safely drop to the ground.

“What are you doing here?”

“Making sure the two of you don't do something stupid.”

“You're not talking me out of this. Unlike you, I can't go hide in a hole and hope everything turns out all right.”

“Calm down, Kurumu. If you had given us more time, we could have gathered some of the faculty to assist us.”

Kurumu let go of Yukari, clutching her chest.

“We don't know if we have time. Tsukune could be in danger right now.”

Morioka hopped over to the torii above them, his hands thrust in his pockets.

“I've heard you've been watching Moka a few days now, kid. Where is she?”

“Kuyo has taken them down inside the temple. It doesn't even look like a temple in the basement. They had cells with prisoners and he… Kuyo incinerated one of them that tried to reach for him. Right now they are in a room with a furnace which has a table and a couple chairs. Kuyo is alone.”

“That means his goons are at the entrance. If we wait, they might go back to class leaving Kuyo alone.”

“We've been waiting around long enough. I'm sure we can handle a few seniors if we have to.”

Morioka sighed, dropping down from the torii with much more grace than Tora had managed.

“I'm really trying to avoid a fight here, Kurumu.”

“You're a werewolf, Morioka! Are you too scared to fight Kuyo?!”

Morioka chuckled.

“I'm not. Never was. But I promised her I would not do things this way.”

“I don't care what you promised, Morioka. If you're not going to help, then move aside.”

Grabbing Yukari by the hand, Kurumu walked by him. After she passed through two more torii, Morioka sighed.

“I'm going to need you to use that bottle of yours.”

“That's not what we discussed.”

“We don't have a choice.”

Kurumu glanced over her shoulder. Morioka and Tora were gone. She scowled, wondering why the two had bothered showing up. Did Morioka think an old promise of his would deter her from what she had to do?

She squeezed Yukari's hand and managed a smile as they neared the last of the torii. The trees had been cut down beyond those final gates, creating a large clearing in which the temple stood atop the hillside. She could see the sweeping black roof over the horizon.

Reaching the summit, she saw that their path continued on over a small bridge that divided a koi pond. The trail of polished stones ended at a set of white steps that connected to the wooden porch wrapped about the temple. Decorative red wood ringed the porch and served as pillars between the wall panels. The same wood swept out to hold up the roof.

She was not able to admire the scenery long. Two young men stood at the base of the stairs while another pair flanked the wooden doors. She recognized the two at the base from this morning. The other two she had seen yesterday.

The whitish haired man had strong, angular features similar to Kuyo. His ears were pierced with silver hoops that dangled almost to his narrow shoulders. His fine hair was shaven short in the back and sides, with the longer, feathered locks atop his head sweeping out to a point. His head turned slightly, taking note of them first.

The young man said something to the shaggy haired one across from him. That boy with the glasses was the shortest of the group. Having been crouched on his haunches, the boy hopped up and vaulted over the porch railing. He fluffed up the collar of his black jacket as he approached them.

Kurumu stepped in front of Yukari, holding an arm out protectively, though also to keep Yukari from prematurely starting a fight. The other three were looking at them, but were too far away to reliably succumb to her charm. She measured the approaching guy up, estimating he was about Morioka’s height.

“So the newspaper girls come to pay a visit.”

The boy grinned, baring his fangs. His words came out with slight growls mixed between syllables.

“Unfortunately Lord Kuyo is a bit busy right now. I’m sure he will agree to an interview at a later time.”

Kurumu glanced over the other boys once more, realizing she should risk it. She turned on her greeter, darting in quickly to grab him by the jacket. Her lack of harmful intent helped slow his reaction. While he did manage to get a hand on her shoulder, his resistance was quickly lost in a flood of lustful desire as she tucked her head and pressed to his chest.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

The man laughed. He slipped his hand over her shoulder, leaning against her. He breathed hotly across her ear.

“We know all about you, woman.”

She tensed up. Of course they would know. Koike would have told them.

“Kurumu?”

She lifted her head, causing him to move his. She lowered her hand from his jacket to press to his side. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and breathed against his ear.

“What’s your name?”

The boy snickered. He tried to move away, but she held him tighter. She could sense the approach of the others.

“A close quarter fight is not in your favor, young lady. I could tear you apart before you even think to hurt me.”

“What’s your name?”

“Since you insist, I would be Lord Kachidoki to you. Now run along.”

She smiled, opening her eyes. The big guy was coming closer with the reddish haired guy on his heels. The last one was still at the door.

“Is it just the four of you?”

This time when he tried to move away, she let him go. He laughed again, shaking his head.

“And what if it is? What can a succubus and a little witch girl hope to do against the Four Kings?”

“Easy there. These two did take down Lady Hineri.”

Kachidoki turned to regard the redhead.

“So the trickster was beaten by two tricksters. I’m terrified.”

The redhead chuckled.

“All the same, you two need to get out of here. Lord Kuyo said no visitors, no circumstances. If you don’t leave, we’ll just make up some reason why you never came back to school.”

The big one slammed his large fist into his other palm, glaring down at them menacingly.

Kurumu backed away a step, pressing a hand to her chest as she stared at them. She caused the big guy to stagger for a moment, but he wisely turned his head aside before she could make any suggestions. Biting her lower lip, she held her hand out to Yukari, but the witch stepped out from behind her, regarding the boys defiantly.

“This is school grounds. We don't have to leave.”

Kachidoki grinned, baring his fangs as a light flashed over his glasses.

“Is that so? Maybe we shouldn’t let a couple first years blatantly skipping class go. It would save us the trouble of fetching you later.”

The redhead’s lips turned up in a smirk.

“That isn’t a bad idea. Grab them.”

The shaggy haired one sprung at her, his jaws lengthening out into a bestial maw. His eyes remained hidden beneath those silvery glasses as his hands stretched out into large paws decked with razor sharp talons. She fell back another step, raising her hand as her fingers quickly lengthened into talons. Her body tensed for impact.

A blur spun across her vision followed by enough wind to gust her skirt up. Morioka stood in front of her, panting heavily as he clutched a familiar spray bottle in his hands. She had lost sight of Kachidoki.

“Damn, girl. You could have stalled for more time.”

The redhead threw up a gout of flame to intercept the dozens of projectiles that sailed towards him. His face twisted, becoming more serpentine as he backed away from Yukari. She advanced as more rocks lifted up from the ground to commit to her will.

“What are you doing here?”

Morioka slipped around her, holding the bottle down as he sprayed the dirt. A dazed Kachidoki was getting up from the ground closer to where the last torii gate stood. Likely having been tossed by Morioka, the young man fixed his glasses before calmly approaching them.

“You die!!!”

The little witch did not even flinch as the big man brought the back of both fists down to squash her head. His hands passed through a flickering image, smashing the ground. Yukari reappeared in four different spots, surrounding the redhead. The amount of missiles quadrupled, each icing over to better penetrate the fiery wall the redhead was projecting.

“I guess that kid isn't useless after all.”

Kurumu shook her head, letting her talons extend as she regarded the approaching bespectacled boy.

“Where's Tora?”

Morioka grinned, holding the bottle up.

“Spreading her scent.”

Morioka brought his fingers up to his lips and whistled loudly.

The four images of Yukari all turned their heads to regard Morioka, eyes wide.

“Wait! Stop!”

Kurumu felt the change in the environment, instantly understanding what Morioka had done. Tora had dropped a barrier and anyone outside would need permission to enter.

“Thanks, Morioka! You asshole!”

There was only one scowling Yukari now. The redhead snickered, moving his hands to form a ball of fire.

“Seems it's my turn now.”

Realizing Kachidoki was no longer a threat, Kurumu charged across the field to tackle Yukari. A fiery ball scorched the ground behind them as they rolled across the dirt to safety.

“Isamashi! Damn, you’re looking good. Why don’t you show me how strong you’ve become since you pulverized Gettou clean into the next prefecture?”

The big man did not hesitate to charge at the grinning Morioka. The werewolf effortlessly sidestepped the brute, twirling about and pushing the man. Isamashi nearly collided with the confused Kachidoki, whom was tentatively reaching out to the unseen barrier.

“So how much more garbage do I have to throw out of this place before it resembles a respectable establishment?”

The redhead turned his attention away from them.

“Tough words, Morioka, but you haven’t seen us get serious yet.”

The redhead flicked up his hands, balls of fire flaring up. His lips turned up in a malicious grin.

In the blink of an eye, the boy buckled and fell to his knees. Morioka stood beyond him, one hand still in his pocket. He cocked his head, regarding the fiery boy.

“Let me know when it’s serious, Kanmuri. Till then, I suggest you sit down with your friends.”

She did not register the attack. Morioka grimaced as his uniform tore open and a gout of blood sprayed across the ground. The white haired senior was walking calmly towards the injured werewolf.

“We have to go, Kurumu!”

Yukari tugged on her wrist, pulling her in the direction of the door.

“We have to help him.”

“Kuyo is attacking them! We don’t have time!”

Her heart was torn as she watched Morioka take another gruesome wound. His assailant had not even come close to Morioka. It was like the air itself was attacking him.

“Fine, but we have to take care of fire boy first.”

Kurumu ran over to the redhead whom was starting to get back to his feet. As she leaned down to grab the guy, it felt like she hit this wall of heat that scalded her skin and burned her lungs. Gritting her teeth, she snatched him up by his jacket.

“Wrong move, woman!”

His skin erupted in flames. She cried out, but refused to let go. She stared down into his scarlet eyes as the sleeves of her blouse caught flame.

“You will leave!”

His forked tongue slipped out as the intensity of his flames wavered. She could smell her flesh burning as the flames spread to her sweater. The fabric flared up like kindling.

“Leave!”

A deluge of water doused her, extinguishing the flames and the dazed boy. A couple koi flopped upon the ground at her feet. Yukari was nearby, panting. Her hands were glowing, one extended to the palm and the other to them.

“I will leave.”

Kurumu nodded. Most of her uniform was burned away. Her bra and panties might be salvageable, but the rest was ruined. At least there was enough skirt left to cling about her waist.

“Yes. Find a teacher.”

“Yes. A teacher.”

The redhead got up slowly. She let go of him and he started down the trail. He walked by the two scowling boys that were waiting on the path where Morioka had dropped Tora's spray bottle.

Kachidoki pointed menacingly towards them.

“Stop fooling around, Hagiwara. You need to find that sphinx bitch to let us back in.”

“He's good at dodging.”

When she looked back, Morioka was clutching his bleeding side, his jacket and dress shirt torn to shreds. The white haired youth continued his cold advance, gray eyes noting them.

“The Kachidoki guy said it was just the four of them.”

Morioka nodded, twisting sharply. Another bit of cloth went flying as he was grazed by another attack.

“So why don't you fight this guy?”

Morioka laughed, shaking his head.

“Have you been watching? I can't catch the wind.”

It was not like she could have seen everything. Kurumu darted towards him, throwing her hands up as she turned to face their last assailant. The white haired guy paused, his gray eyes impassive.

“You think I would hesitate to kill you, woman?”

Tora instantly appeared behind the man. She touched his side, causing him to whirl about in alarm. Tora threw her hands up, wincing as the man struck upon her. He staggered back as if he had struck stone, the class rep unharmed.

Morioka launched over Kurumu’s shoulder. He quickly landed atop the man, pummeling him senseless from behind. His hands bloodied, he sat back on his haunches, still straddling the prone man. Cocking his head over his shoulder, he flashed her a victory sign.

“Why didn't you do that earlier?”

“I needed a distraction. This guy controls wind pressure. Whenever I tried to get close, I'd be pushed away.”

Yukari snorted.

“I'm surprised the primate knows what wind pressure is.”

Morioka smirked, getting up from the bloodied Hagiwara. He hauled the man up on his shoulder and started off for where the other two boys were. Tora came up next to him, trying to help steady Morioka’s walk.

“Bravo, Morioka. Now have your bitch drop this shield so we can continue our fight.”

Yukari tugged on her wrist. She pointed to the door.

“We have to go.”

“I think you boys have had enough excitement for today.”

“You think you stand a chance fighting Lord Kuyo? Don’t make me laugh.”

Morioka staggered over to what must have been the edge of the barrier, as he was only a few paces from the menacing pair. The werewolf grunted, heaving the unconscious boy off his shoulder to land heavily on the ground off to the side behind them.

“I think we have managed fine so far.”

Tora tugged on his jacket, turning him. She brushed over his injuries with her fingertips, concerned.

“You need to hurry. Tsukune is badly injured.”

She brought her fingers together, making a diamond at her chest. A bluish ball of light gathered in the center as she closed her eyes. With a deep breath, she brought her fingers over carrying the light within the diamond pattern. She touched Morioka and his wounds instantly healed.

“You’ll find them in the basement.”

Morioka darted in, pressing his lips upon Tora’s. The girl squeaked with alarm as she quickly pushed him back, her eyes wide. She touched her lips, shaking her head animatedly.

“What are you thinking?!”

Morioka backed off, laughing as he rubbed the back of his head.

“I’m thinking if I’m about to die, I’d like a kiss first. I doubt the other girls here are good for granting that wish.”

Kurumu giggled, shaking her head. Only Morioka would pull a stunt like that in this dire situation. Yukari tugged on her hand again.

“Why are we still here?”

“I know, I know. And thanks for helping with the fire guy.”

“I could have done more, if dipshit had not ruined everything. All my spells have to be recalculated now that Tora has claimed the area. It changes the flow of energy.”

“Hey now. We're not here to kill anyone, kid. This is a rescue.”

“Oh, I'm sorry. I guess if we ask Kuyo nicely he might decide to not finish killing our friends. Which he is doing, right now.”

Tora wandered over to her spray bottle, regarding the boys on the other side of the barrier.

“Ginei… I thought I told you a sphere this size would need at least sixty four points. I’m feeling only forty nine.”

“Well… these two were in a hurry to pick a fight.”

Tora nodded, regarding the sky.

“I’m not going to be able to stray far from here. I was thinking I might be able to do something to help with Kuyo, but this barrier isn’t strong enough for me to leave unattended.”

“You’ve done enough for us, Tora. We can take it from here.”

Morioka gestured to Kurumu and started walking towards the front of the temple.

“Be careful, Tora. We're counting on you.”

“Short of Kuyo shattering the barrier, I should be safe here. You three are in more danger than I.”

“Hey, stupid bitch! Don’t you have to let us in if we want in?”

Tora glanced over at Kachidoki, her lower lip trembling. The phantom child manifested at her side. The small girl’s head turned aside with a feral grin, rows of jagged teeth bared.

“Is it time to play?”

“Ginei. Tsukune doesn’t have the time. You have to carry them. I hope Yukari can show you the way.”

“Assuming they don’t have any protests…”

Morioka grinned as he held a hand out to Yukari. Yukari huffed, walking up next to him and placing her hand to push her hat firmly on her head.

“This one time. For Tsukune’s sake.”

As Morioka hefted the witch up on his back, he offered his hand to Kurumu. It did not look like this would work, but maybe if she clutched him about the neck. She walked over to him and timidly put her arm where she felt it would work best. To her surprise, Morioka freed an arm for her to sit on.

“Come on, little girl. Are you going to let us in or will we have to make you? I swear I’m going to tear you limb from limb once this is over.”

The little girl tittered.

“Please! Can I, can I?! Let me play with them, Tora! Let me play!”

“Ready?”

Kurumu nodded. They were inside the temple in an instant, surmising Morioka had hit the door with his shoulder to get through so easily. The surroundings moved by in a blur. She could only hear Yukari bleat out curt directions as they descended thru a lower level before finally making their way into the basement. She caught a glimpse of the cages before they were in a room, smoldering with heat.

Morioka dropped her as Yukari hopped off his back. She scrambled to her feet, noting the fiery figure standing before them. She winced, shielding her face.

“A vampire.”

The strong voice from the figure was Kuyo’s. It drew her attention to Moka, whom was holding an unconscious Tsukune in her arms. Her eyes blazed crimson as her silver locks fluttered in the heat pouring from Kuyo’s body.

“I have heard the rumors, but did not think them true. To think one of your kind has fallen so far from grace to mingle with humans. I am doing your race a favor in destroying you now.”

Kurumu pushed Yukari aside to touch Tsukune’s limp body. He was not moving. His chest did not budge in the slightest. Her heart tightened in her chest.

“He’s not breathing!”

Yukari rushed over to Moka’s other side, her hands forming the same diamond pattern Tora had done minutes ago.

“I’ll heal him.”

“It’s too late.”

Moka hauled the boy up, forcing his head onto her shoulder. Closing her eyes, she bared her fangs and planted them against Tsukune’s neck.

Kurumu gasped, grabbing Moka by the shoulders. The vampire would not budge as she tried to yank Moka away. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she realized this might be the last time she saw Tsukune.

“Please! He’ll die!”

Moka threw her head back with a gasp, clutching him tightly to her. The vampire sunk to her knees, panting.

Unable to get space between Moka and Tsukune, Kurumu reached over to hug them both. She rubbed her hand across Tsukune’s head, her heart feeling like it could break under this pressure. She cried against Moka’s cheek.

“Why? You know I love you, Tsukune. Please. Please be okay.”

“Rite of Ascension.”

Her eyes blurry with tears, she looked over to Yukari. The small girl crawled over to them, timidly touching Tsukune’s back.

“Moka. I was here. I could have healed him.”

Moka’s chest was heaving, her crimson eyes dazed without their usual fire.

“It would not have been enough.”

“But Moka…”

“There was no other option.”

Her lip turned up in a slight smile.

“You took too long.”

“I don’t know what you guys are doing, but I’m going to fight Kuyo now. Any help would be much appreciated.”

Kurumu shook her head. She had no words for Morioka.

“Will Tsukune be okay?”

Yukari reformed her fingers into the pattern before, placing them at her small chest. Her ball of light was much smaller than Tora’s, giving credit to Moka’s claim. Yukari brought the healing glow over, pressing it to Tsukune’s back. The little ball vanished inside.

“I don’t know. The Rite of Ascension is a risky gamble. It won’t kill him. At least not right away.”

Moka’s breathing was steadying.

“I gave him my blood. I had to heal all the internal injuries he suffered under Kuyo’s brutal interrogation. That healing spell would not have worked fast enough.”

“I thought you could keep him safe, Moka.”

“Tsukune hesitated too long in taking the rosary off. I don’t know why he… he was willing to die for us.”

“What?”

“Kuyo swore he would kill everyone in the newspaper club if he did not confess to being human. Tsukune must have thought he could trade his life for our safety. When he realized Kuyo would kill everyone anyways, he finally decided it was time to let me out.”

Kurumu shook her head, hugging the two again.

“He’ll be fine, right? Vampire blood is strong.”

“That’s part of the issue.”

Kurumu glanced at Yukari.

“Moka gave out a healthy donation to Tsukune. That means she is a lot weaker than she normally is. I’m sure you can feel the difference.”

Kurumu had not noticed, but she did now. The raw fear and dread that usually came with silver haired Moka felt like a distant memory. She had barely registered it when they had first arrived, considering Kuyo was also putting out a strong, malevolent aura.

“With Moka weak and Morioka losing this fight in the background, I say we are in dire straits.”

Kurumu glanced over at Morioka. The werewolf was doing his best at dodging Kuyo’s attacks, but it was glaringly obvious that Morioka could not touch Kuyo. The wall of flames surrounding the figure could not be penetrated even with the werewolf’s speed. His clothes and hair were singed from the multiple attempts to land a single blow.

“Should we run?”

“I think you should use it.”

Moka shook her head.

“Too dangerous. Kuyo might kill her.”

“He will even if we don’t.”

Moka grimaced.

“What options do we have? Kuyo is not going to let us walk away from here.”

Kurumu nodded, letting go of Moka. She swallowed, her throat dry from the oppressive heat.

“I can try, but they have to give me some time to figure it out.”

Moka took a deep breath. She pushed Tsukune off of her, turning him about to lay him on his back. She smiled, brushing his bangs across his forehead.

“I’ll do what I can, but you have to make sure you don’t take everyone in with you. It’s pointless if you do that.”

Kurumu nodded, having no idea how to do that.

“Well… there’s Tora.”

“Tora? Tora is here.”

“Yes. She’s put up a barrier about this place to keep everyone else out.”

Moka touched her lips thoughtfully. Decisively she got up on her feet.

“It might work then. Keep Tsukune safe.”

Kurumu gestured for Yukari to come closer. She slipped her tail out and ran her fingers along her ear.

“Can you help me figure out how this works? I think it was a matter of me not being able to see what I was doing wrong yesterday.”

Yukari crawled around Tsukune to place her small hands on Kurumu’s left ear. Kurumu felt her tail grabbed as the witch hovered in close.

“Hey, furrball? You still alive?”

Morioka groaned, getting up from an attack that had burned away the rest of his jacket. He patted down the cinders of what remained of his dress shirt. He glanced over to Moka and managed a grin.

“Looks like I’m the one doing the striptease this time.”

“I’m impressed you have lasted this long, Morioka. All these months of dodging a fight, I was starting to think you cared about your life more than anything.”

Morioka chuckled.

“You don’t know anything.”

“Very well. Perhaps I shall destroy the club you worked so hard to bring back from the ashes.”

Kurumu gasped as Yukari’s fingers touched upon an extremely sensitive spot behind her earlobe.

“Oh. It’s here.”

Kurumu whimpered as those tiny fingers rubbed about that small depression. Yukari snickered.

“That’s a nice sound.”

Kurumu winced as a large gust of heat rose up from behind Kuyo. Several tails lifted, each burning so bright it was painful to look out.

“Farewell.”

She could not move as she heard Yukari squeal in alarm. The witch hugged her tight as a rolling mist of flames shot out from those tails, coalescing into a stream aimed directly at Kurumu and the witch.

Moka darted into the path, but Morioka did the same in front of her. She could hear the sound of flesh burning as Kuyo laughed in triumph.

“How foolish! How shall you protect them against the next attack, Morioka?”

Morioka collapsed, his body smoking. He pitched limply to the side. Moka sprang over their fallen leader, snarling out a scream. Her skirt and jacket caught blaze, but she angrily kicked through that fiery curtain to connect soundly upon Kuyo’s jaw. As he staggered back, she spun about and delivered a second roundhouse that sent the beast through the far wall. It collapsed under his weight, with a good portion of the ceiling falling down atop him.

Yukari looked up bewildered.

“Moka.”

The silver haired vampire regarded Morioka, anguish in her eyes.

“You stupid mutt! I could have handled that.”

Kuyo’s laughter resumed as the monster picked himself out of the debris.

“Is that the limit of a vampire? You’ve grown soft playing friends with humans. I shall purify your bodies of this unforgivable sin!”

“Kurumu! Open it!”

She nodded, swallowing down the dread that was spreading throughout the room. She felt Yukari move her ear aside, pushing the stigma into that sensitive spot. She gasped again.

“Die!”

She watched as Kuyo's fist connected with Moka's face. The vampire staggered back, spinning to avoid his second punch. Her leg swept a sharp arc to strike him in the back of the head, pushing him down to the ground. Moka hopped back a step as the laughing Kuyo picked himself back up.

“It's futile! You lack the strength to best me!”

Kurumu held her hand out, thinking there had to be some way to restrain him. The nearby debris rose up, twisting to her will. It reformed into a stone link chain that wrapped across Kuyo's wrist, denying him from swinging at Moka another time.

Kuyo turned angrily, grasping at the chain with his other hand but his fingers slipped through it like air. He snarled, his eyes locking with hers. He took a step as Moka's fist came into view, crushing the side of his face.

“I was hoping I was out of your field of vision.”

Kurumu glanced over her shoulder, noting Yukari at her side. The witch sighed as she stood up from the floor. She patted her clothes free of dust, though it did not look like her outfit was dirty at all.

There was no heat from Kuyo's attacks. Though he looked like he was on fire, the feeling of basking next to a smoldering volcano no longer persisted. Moka's clothes were not catching flame despite her drawn out fist fight with the beast. In her distraction of taking in the surroundings, which no longer included Tsukune or Morioka, Kuyo had broken free of her restraints.

“You're feeble illusions will not stop me, child!”

Yukari placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Kurumu. Starry night. Field of flowers.”

The immediate change of scenery caused Kuyo to falter. He looked about wildly.

“What are you doing?”

Moka snaked up behind him, grabbing him about his torso. She grimaced as she tightened her grip, causing Kuyo to gasp. The man grabbed at Moka's arms and they could hear the sounds of bones crushing. Kuyo gagged as a gout of blood spurted from his mouth.

Yukari turned to Kuyo, walking boldly towards him across the field of flowers. Her hands moved in sharp, quick gestures.

“Stand aside, Moka. I can handle it from here.”

Moka gasped sharply, releasing her hold as she darted away. A cloud of breath passed from her lips as she shook her hands like they had been stung.

Kuyo groaned as he collapsed to one knee, the fire about him flickering. He lifted his head, blood dripping from his lips. He snarled at the witch.

“You will all die here! My power is-”

His breath came out in white clouds. His face contorted in pain, as his flames roiled up.

“I wonder what your mind thinks about the threshold of your power. You were so focused on strength while fighting Moka. Can you keep up?”

The flowers about Yukari caught fire as the intensity of heat enveloped her. Her fingers kept moving fluidly, pulling energy from this field Kurumu had created. No, that was not it. She was pulling it from Kuyo. The ground about Kuyo started to ice over.

“I am power! You cannot comprehend the-”

“I am increasing my draw from you exponentially. This is not a battle of physical or spiritual power, Kuyo. This is a battle of your mind. How much power do you think you have to spare before your body breaks? I'm certain I will reach that number sooner than you think.”

She would kill him. Kurumu thought she should stop the girl, but realized it was the only way to keep them safe. She looked away.

“Yukari!”

Moka was looking about in a panic. Kuyo had vanished and Yukari was confused.

“How?”

“He must have broken free! Kurumu! You have to let us out immediately!”

Kurumu's heart jumped to her throat. They were helpless. She reached up to her ear, but her tail was not there. Whimpering, she felt around her head, knowing she had to turn this off but lacking any idea how to do that.

“Calm down, Moka. We have to calm down.”

Yukari turned about and hurried over to Kurumu's side. She wrapped Kurumu up in her tiny hug. The girl's body was tense as she breathed fiercely against her chest.

“Calm down. Relax. It's… it's okay now.”

She knew things were not, but she realized why she had to. She took in a deep breath, trying to empty her mind of her concerns. That was not quite right. They were still here. She felt another set of arms enclose about her as Moka hugged her tightly, breathing against her ear.

“Come on, Kurumu. You can do this.”

She looked up, noting the smoky remains of the shattered room. In the corner of her vision, she saw her tail pull away, still held in Yukari's hands. Kurumu's attention quickly focused on the only upright figure in the room. Standing over the prone form of Kuyo, Tsukune lowered his clenched fist. He slowly turned about, his eyes burning with a familiar crimson light.

“Tsukune?”

His lips turned up in a weak smile. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as he pitched forward, caught by Moka before he struck the ground.

“No way.”

Morioka coughed, lifting up on his hands and elbows. He shook his head.

“He became a vampire.”

* * *

Kurumu was starting to wonder if anyone else knew how to use the broom. With Tora still being held in the student council for questioning, she had been asked by Tomisaki to fill in for Tora’s cleanup duties. Actually he had asked Moka, but it kind of felt like the same thing.

All of them had been hauled off to the student council room for questioning when the faculty found them around the lunch hour. As they had spent most of that time in the basement recovering, they had barely understood what the issue was before their inquiry. Morioka had assured them it was merely a protocol thing, since they had assaulted another club. She had been given a spare gym outfit to change into, which helped dealing with Morioka's lust.

Tora was being accused of killing three seniors. The redhead boy had reported the incident to the faculty, bringing teachers to demand Tora to remove the barrier. Tora had refused until Ms. Nekonome had arrived. This was her understanding, as she had not seen Tora since they had entered the basement.

The inquiry had mostly been an official statement on what had happened. It had blindsided her, because they were brought in separately and were dismissed to return to their classes. Yukari and Moka, whom both had been done prior to her, had not been allowed to discuss anything.

Both Tsukune and Kuyo had been taken to the hospital while the other students being held prisoner by the PSC had also been taken into custody to take part in this inquiry. Those three boys had been done first, so it was well into the sixth period before they had taken Moka in.

Like the trio of boys, Moka would have had the least bit of understanding. Short of a conversation between her other self, she would only be able to verify what Kuyo had done to the fourth boy. She had been the most confused leaving the room.

Kurumu had no idea what the redhead’s story was, nor did she care. She told the teachers about the wrongful abduction and the brief skirmish at the temple entrance. She assured them that the PSC had attacked first because they were trespassing and had mildly asked if the PSC temple was off limits to normal students.

One of the teachers had been adamant about her telling anything she might know about the barrier and if Tora had forced the boys to fight each other. That was about when she finally understood what the issue was. Realizing this inquiry was an attempt to hang her friend, she had strongly declared the notion of Tora killing anyone was ridiculous. If she had not already admitted to being in the basement during the supposed attack, she would have lied.

It was ridiculous. This was Tora. The girl that had waved her arms around like an idiot to draw Saizou’s attention long enough to save Burumoto’s life. She could not fly. She could not fight. If the boys had torn each other apart trying to get inside her barrier… Kurumu could not imagine Tora as anything but a frightened, nervous wreck. Of course that terrified girl would not let anyone through that she did not trust. Those inquisitors were both idiots. She hoped she would never have either of them as a teacher.

By the time she had been released, she had felt no reason to show up for gym. She waited about a half hour in Ms. Sunao’s classroom, talking with Yukari about Tora, Kuyo and Tsukune. Yukari had no opinion about if Tora had done it or not, stating the case would be unprovable. It was his word against Tora’s. There was no way he could prove anything. She felt there was a much stronger murder case against Kuyo, as the trio and Moka had witnessed the crime. They both felt certain that this would be the last they saw of that guy.

When the topic shifted to Tsukune, Yukari reopened the talk about the Rite of Ascension. While giving blood had not been expressly stated as the means of making someone a vampire, Yukari felt that matched the folklore surrounding them. Some of the more modern fiction had victims brought to the brink of death only to be given vampire blood to become vampires themselves. It was a process of deciding if someone was interesting enough to become a companion, or remain food. Of course, that was fiction, since they knew vampires did not require humans for food and this whole ‘thirst’ gimmick was some silly concept drawn up by the humans so that vampires would need them.

Yukari disagreed with Morioka’s assessment of Tsukune turning into a vampire. She was certain that the Rite of Ascension was a drawn out process where an individual was accepted into the vampire community. She theorized Tsukune would require more blood and was in no danger of becoming a vampire. She admitted she was more worried about his system rejecting the blood, which could explain why the Rite of Ascension was potentially fatal.

The bells ending the seventh hour had concluded their discussion. She had been surprised with Tora’s continued absence, worried that this school would have the nerve to take some snake’s word over Tora’s.

One thing that they had not been able to discuss was Kuyo’s motives. She had thought to bring this up with Yukari, but the subject was sensitive. How did Kuyo know about Tsukune being human? Did he have proof or had he been simply trying to bully Tsukune into a confession so he would have an excuse to charge them all with harboring a fugitive? The silver haired Moka had said he confessed. Should they be concerned what Kuyo might say to the other faculty?

“They will be fine, Kurumu.”

Kurumu glanced down at Moka, whom was rolling her wrist with the dustpan in hand. The vampire smiled, setting the pan next to the dust pile.

“What has she told you about the fight with Kuyo?”

Moka shrugged as Kurumu pushed the pile into the pan.

“She said that we all beat him together and that Tsukune would be safe.”

She had this feeling that the other Moka would not mention giving Tsukune blood or how Tsukune had been the one to deliver the finishing blow. Smiling, she held out her hand to help Moka up. It was probably best if they did not tell Moka about it.

“Hey Kurumu!”

She looked up. Burumoto and Tamaishi had finished things up at the front of the class and were about to leave through the front door.

“Cheerleader outfit. I’m sure Tomisaki could hook you up.”

She rolled her eyes.

“I’ll get you another paper. Sheesh, you’re persistent.”

The boy laughed, walking out into the hallway.

“What’s this about a cheerleader outfit?”

She sighed, glancing over at Morioka. He was wearing his gym clothes considering his uniform had been worthless after the fight.

“Nothing that would concern you.”

“Do you think they will let us hand out papers tomorrow?”

He turned to the vampire, grinning.

“Probably. I haven’t spoken with the student council about that, but with Kuyo gone and half the PSC seniors… indisposed… I think we wouldn’t have much resistance.”

Kurumu noted Yukari slipping in the back door. The girl made a slight wave as she walked over to them.

“How’s Tora?”

“I haven’t seen her. They sent me away like the rest of you.”

“Do you think she did what they said?”

Kurumu was a little annoyed Moka had brought that up, though it was a question in her mind. Morioka shrugged, rubbing the back of his head.

“Not on purpose. Her phantom can be difficult to control.”

“Why would she bring her out then?”

“Because she's scared to face conflict on her own. It's not on purpose. Think of it as a reflex.”

Kurumu nodded, surmising he must have been told this when Tora had put up the first barrier. She noted he was still scratching his head.

“You need to stop wearing that bandana.”

“Huh?”

“Move that bandana too much and you’ll make yourself bald.”

“Funny.”

“I wonder what a bald werewolf looks like. Fearsome or pathetic?”

Morioka chuckled, shaking his head.

“Should we talk about club activities?”

“I haven’t thought much about that. We’re missing three members and still don’t have a green light on our last paper. I feel like I should make a pass through Mononoke to talk with our sponsors.”

Kurumu grimaced.

“Have fun with that.”

“I’m not doing that alone. You owe me, Moka.”

“What? Me?”

“Yea. I saved your ass from that fireball attack.”

“I don’t remember-”

Kurumu grinned.

“He did, Moka. You do owe him.”

“Oh. Well… I guess.”

Yukari huffed.

“Then I’m coming too! I can’t leave her alone with this fleabag!”

They shared a laugh. Kurumu smiled at Morioka.

“Ginei… have you ever thought of eating lunch with us?”

“Huh?”

His surprise was understandable. It was possibly the first time she had addressed him by his first name.

“Well… I mean… what do you do for lunch? Is there a group you hang out with?”

He flashed her a smile.

“I hang out with lots of groups. Listen in on the gossip. Keep informed. How else do you think I pick up all these juicy stories?”

Moka stepped in, grabbing him by the elbow.

“You should. I’m sure we would all enjoy it if you ate lunch with us.”

He laughed, retreating back a step.

“Don’t be silly. You guys get sick of me in the short time we have for club. Don’t be saying things I know you’ll regret.”

Kurumu stepped up next to Moka, placing her hand beside Moka’s on his arm.

“Not every day. You do need to keep up with the gossip. But like once or twice a week. It’s just a thought. What do you say, Ginei?”

For a moment he lost his casual aloofness. He sighed, forcing a smile as he rubbed the back of his head again.

“I guess I could do that for Tsukune. Poor guy probably feels out of place wandering about these halls with a harem.”

Kurumu smirked, not caring for the harem remark.

“I’m telling you. You’re going to go bald.”


	33. The Results Are In

Kurumu had woken up starving and butt naked again. Despite having such a rough day, Ms. Kagome had been adamant about her attending that after school lesson. It had been impossible to talk her way out of it, considering she had missed most of the school day due to the student police altercation. Her friends had just stood about laughing at her plight.

At this point it was starting to feel like her alarm clock was useless. She had pulled out of her awkward dream seven minutes before the buzzer would have sounded off. Grabbing up her bath things, she had darted off to the showers while trying to formulate some plan of what she should do today.

She could not recall the last time she had ridden the bullet train. It had been such a weird, vivid dream. Everybody had been in it. People that she did not know crowded about them. And then they started leaving.

They were happy, chatting about nothing. Zukkutani had left first among the thrall of faceless strangers and mild acquaintances. Then Tora had announced her stop with Morioka joining her. They had continued on for some time before Yukari’s parents had shown up. The trio had departed on the next stop.

She had felt frightened while smiling. She had known at any moment the next stop would be hers. They were the only three on the train… the entire world. It felt like hours.

When the train finally stopped it was Moka whom stood up. They had talked some, exchanging farewells. At the last moment, Tsukune left the train to walk Moka home, promising he would catch up. The doors closed and the train moved forwards. She was all alone, moving towards the unknown.

She wanted to see Tsukune today. He was all alone in the hospital again. She wondered if the three had gone to visit him. Morioka had mentioned going to Mononoke, so it would have been convenient. There was even a chance they had brought Tora along, assuming the faculty had any heart at all and would not convict the girl for defending herself.

As she slipped out of her room, shoes and her keychain dangling from her bag, Kurumu headed for the stairs. She felt like it was best to get everyone up as she had these past few days. The most violent part of their problems with the PSC was over, so Zukkutani could safely return to school. She held out hope that Tora would be in her room, as that was going to be her first stop.

Glancing at her watch as she descended the stairs, she had plenty of time. It was only twenty after six. Tora also got up around six, so she would be done with her shower and her hair by now. She could linger ten or so minutes at Tora’s door before running back up to the fifth floor to see if the trio were sleeping together again.

Kurumu stepped out of the stairs, crossing the small lobby and turning down the hall on her right. She frowned, slowing her approach. Deshi had exited her room at the end of the hallway. The girl looked up from her door, tilting her head back as she smiled with her eyes closed.

“Morning.”

Kurumu felt angry. She wanted to start yelling at this girl, for betraying them and not doing anything while Kuyo broke up their paper distribution. Gritting her teeth, she met the girl just shy of Tora’s door.

“Morning.”

“You join for lunch?”

“What?”

“Join for lunch. Much to discuss.”

Kurumu scowled, noting that Tora’s door was not resting on the deadbolt.

“Why would I want to do that?”

“Sure you find very interesting. Yet meet Lord Sabaku.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, not interested in meeting any more members of the student police. She gestured to the door.

“Was Tora allowed to come home last night?”

Deshi grinned, flipping her staff on her shoulders behind her neck. She placed a hand on her chest.

“She there. Can feel it.”

Kurumu walked by the girl, knocking on the door.

“I’ll think about it.”

“No think. Come. Bring everyone.”

Kurumu shook her head. It honestly sounded like the girl was inviting them to walk into another trap. Deshi would have to do much better than that.

“Are you really in there, Tora? Your creepy neighbor said so.”

“She wants to play! Can we play some more?!”

Kurumu shuddered at the excited chatter of the phantom beyond. She was suddenly aware of the barrier beyond the door, beckoning to her.

“Aw… you’re no-”

The barrier vanished and the door pulled open. Tora was dressed for school with her hair already done up in the usual braid. Her eyes were dull as she regarded the floor. Had she put up a barrier after getting ready for school? No. She probably had not changed from yesterday.

Kurumu stepped in, placing a hand on Tora’s cheek. The girl merely turned her head aside, pulling away from the touch. Smiling, Kurumu closed the door.

“When did they let you go?”

Tora backed away some, leaning against the wall. She clutched her arms about her chest, head bowed.

“Tora? It’s going to be okay.”

“No. The past never becomes okay.”

Kurumu forced a smile, reaching in to touch Tora’s cheek again.

“Yes, but… it’s over now.”

Tora looked up, her eyes haunted.

“Do you know what it’s like to have something happen to you that you cannot forget? No matter how hard you try.”

Kurumu’s thoughts quickly drifted to Nagare and her chest tightened. She fought back that feeling, bringing her other hand up to touch Tora.

“Yes, but you have to move forward. With time, it will get better.”

Tora’s eyes were wet with fresh tears. She shook her head.

“No, it doesn’t. I lied to you.”

“About what?”

“My mother only took that job because of me. I… I never thought they would do that. Could do that. I just wanted them to stop. To leave me alone.”

Kurumu pulled the girl off the wall, holding her tightly. It was a struggle to keep from crying, knowing how hard it would be for her to share anything about last weekend.

“You don’t have to do this. It’s fine.”

Tora looked across her room, a tear rolling down her left cheek.

“I can still see them. They were just kids. Why can’t I forget?”

* * *

The four of them walked out of the woods on the path leading to the front gate. Moka was in the middle between Tora and Zukkutani, while Kurumu walked on Tora’s other side. She had often reached out to touch Tora’s shoulder whenever the girl became too quiet.

After Tora had calmed down, she had answered Kurumu’s original question. Around six Ms. Nekonome had escorted Tora to the dining hall. She had no idea why they had released her, though Ms. Nekonome had assured her that everything would be fine. Not in the mood to eat, she had gone home.

Kurumu had not pressed for any explanations from Tora. She deduced that what had happened yesterday had been similar to something that had happened long ago to Tora. She did not want to reopen old wounds by pushing for details.

Since then it had been a normal morning. After a quick shower, Tora looked much better and had left her hair down to conserve some time. They met up with Moka and Zukkutani. Naturally Moka had been happy to see Tora and they had talked optimistically about the club.

Moka had tried to visit Tsukune in the hospital last night, but had been denied at the front desk. Ms. Sasayaki had personally assured her that the situation was under control and it would be best for her to come back over the weekend. His condition remained a mystery.

During breakfast Kurumu had mentioned Deshi’s lunch offer while voicing her concerns. Zukkutani was fine with whatever they decided. Tora felt they should ask for Morioka’s opinion, though that was not likely to happen. Moka mentioned he might join them for lunch, but Kurumu had her doubts on him taking that offer in Tsukune’s absence.

The vampire was all for the meeting, confident that they would have no more issues with the student police. She fully believed the group was infighting now without Kuyo in control, and that was why the boys had killed each other in front of Tora. She surmised that this Lord Sabaku was likely wanting to make peace with them, considering they had defeated Kuyo. Tora agreed this was more probable than this Sabaku guy risking another fight that would ruin his claim for leadership.

“Are you going to be okay seeing Morioka today?”

“I think I can manage.”

“We could probably give the two of you some alone time. That kiss was very rushed.”

Tora’s eyes widened and she quickly backhanded Kurumu’s shoulder.

“Ginei kissed Tora? When did that happen?”

Kurumu chuckled as she fended off the pouty attacks.

“I guess I forgot to mention that yesterday. Yea, he got all dramatic and stole a kiss from Tora’s lips.”

“Is Mr. Morioka going out with Ms. Nazohashi?”

Tora huffed, her cheeks flush.

“No. If you were there, he could have kissed you instead. He’s just… ugh.”

Kurumu grinned, able to resume her normal pace.

“So was that your first kiss?”

Tora pursed her lips.

“Well… no.”

“Oh… I was sure you were talking about not having your first kiss only a couple weeks ago.”

Kurumu grinned, having some idea when this first kiss might have happened. Morioka had spent the night with Tora during his scheme of using the girl to get rid of Tsukune.

“I have firmly voiced that there is nothing going on between Senior and I.”

“That was before I knew about kissing. How much has been going on?”

“That is none of your business.”

“So are they going out or not?”

“We are not!”

Tora huffed indignantly as they reached the front gate.

“Don’t mind Kurumu. She likes to give everyone a hard time.”

“I’m just taking interest in the things happening in my friends’ lives. You’re the one that’s slow to notice things, Moka.”

“There was nothing to notice. We kissed a little bit that one week. We haven’t done anything since he brought that other guy to our club.”

Kurumu supposed that made sense. Things had been busy these past couple weeks and it was not like she had found too many opportunities to do things with Tsukune. Even a normal couple would have only had that one laundry night, and that conversation had not been a good one for making out.

“I think Ginei is a nice guy. He put himself on the line when it mattered.”

Tora glanced over at her. It was hard to say if the girl was curious or suspicious.

“I’m just saying that I wouldn’t think it a bad thing if you two did decide to go out.”

“I’m touched that I have your blessing. Allow me to restate that I have no interest in dating Ginei.”

“Yea, yea, you say so.”

Zukkutani laughed.

“That’s a shame. I was wondering… is Ms. Akashiya interested in anyone?”

Kurumu smiled, realizing this was the first time the topic had come up.

“I… well… uh…”

“Moka has a crush on my boyfriend, Tsukune.”

“He’s not…”

She smirked at Moka, daring the vampire to continue. Moka sighed.

“Tsukune is too polite to turn Kurumu down.”

“Oh? So you think Tsukune is dating me out of pity?”

“This is what I meant, Kana. She just gives everyone a hard time.”

Zukkutani stared blankly at Moka.

“So, you’re dating Mr. Aono, Ms. Kurono?”

Kurumu laughed.

“I try to, but he’s always getting into trouble. I feel like we barely have any time together.”

Moka reached the door first, holding it open for the rest of them. They filtered inside, Zukkutani hovering nearby for more conversation. Other students were already in the rows, changing into their indoor slippers. Kurumu wandered over to her shoe cubby, thankful to see that her slippers were still there and in good condition.

The genkan in the front foyer was divided up into nine rows. The three rows on the right next to the teacher’s lounge were reserved for the third years while the three rows on the left next to the school store were for the second years. The first years had the middle three rows with two classes on each side of the row. Zukkutani being from class seven would not have a cubby anywhere near theirs.

“Have you taken interest in anyone, Zukkutani? I know there hasn’t been that much time, but Moka and I kind of fixated on Tsukune in the first week.”

“I’m surprised you acknowledge Moka’s feelings for Tsukune so casually.”

Kurumu shrugged, lifting up her foot to tug at the laces on her shoe.

“It’s not like she’s going to stop crushing on him just because I say she isn’t.”

The blushing vampire struggled to remove her shoes.

“Can we talk about something else?”

Kurumu smirked as she slipped out of her shoe and turned her attention to the other one.

“This is why I’m the girlfriend. She gets flustered talking about him.”

“I don’t know. Pining away for your crush to take notice of you is kind of normal. You hold your breath as he walks by, your heart beating fast, wondering if today will be the day he calls your name.”

Kurumu snorted at the girl’s theatrics as she pushed her shoes into the cubby, retrieving the slippers. She lifted her foot up, slipping one on and then the other.

“That’s silly. If you want a guy, walk up to him and ask him out.”

“Don’t take love advice from a succubus, Ms. Zukkutani. The concept of rejection is foreign to her.”

“Girls don’t get rejected. They get dumped.”

“That’s not encouraging, Kurumu.”

Kurumu shrugged as she walked about the end of the row and started down the center of the genkan in her slippers. Zukkutani took this as her cue to hurry over to her cubby and change her shoes.

“I don’t see the point in agonizing over whether or not someone wants to be with you. Unless you have some odd fetish where you like being in that state of uncertainty.”

She paused at where the floor lifted up and transitioned into the grand foyer. She glanced over her shoulder, confirming that Moka and Tora were nearby and that Zukkutani was quickly making progress. Several other students were doing their things, some taking notice of them. She could feel desire from the boys, pining away as Zukkutani had mentioned.

“It’s Ms. Akashiya!”

“And Ms. Kurono!”

“Why couldn’t I have been held back a year? So gorgeous!”

“Maybe they like older guys.”

Kurumu sighed holding her hand out for Moka.

“Seriously, Moka. If you wanted a pet, there’s no shortage of them.”

Moka laughed nervously, taking the hand. Together they stepped up from the recess and walked over to the winding stair.

“I don’t envy the two of you. You draw more attention than I ever could be comfortable with.”

Kurumu shrugged as she hesitated at the base of the stairs long enough for Zukkutani to catch up.

“It’s our boobs. I’m sure if we had someone like Irewata walking around with us, they would be fawning over her too.”

“I appreciate the candid assessment.”

“Do you really think that’s all it is?”

Kurumu squeezed Moka’s hand.

“We should walk in with Irewata’s group and see what happens. Hazumi and Meisai both have to be at least D cups. I guarantee that they get as much notice as we do.”

“Only you two have a reputation for getting into trouble.”

Kurumu clutched her chest.

“What? I’m completely innocent. Moka’s the one drop kicking every guy that looks at her crossways.”

“I seem to remember you mauling Inui.”

Kurumu waved her hand dismissively as they reached the top of the stairs.

“I would never do such a thing.”

Both Tora and Moka regarded her dubiously. Considering she had attacked both of them at some point this past month, she supposed the innocent act was not as humorous as she hoped.

“You think we should do another sleepover at Yukari’s?”

“Huh?”

Tora smiled.

“I suppose we could do that if Ms. Kagome lets you.”

“There’s always the weekend nights.”

She briefly thought about the whole drinking thing with Nerume and Sakamori she had loosely set in motion. There was no way she would be doing that this weekend. Assuming she was not going to be allowed to see Tsukune tonight, she was thinking of spending most of her Saturday at the hospital.

“Maybe Sunday night if Tsukune is okay?”

“Does anyone have any actual games this time?”

“I haven’t seen the other two movies you brought last time.”

“You guys watched movies?”

They laughed at Moka’s confusion.

“What did you guys do when the three of you slept together?”

“Not much. Moka zonked out shortly after her bath so we turned in early.”

“Well we can’t leave the agenda up to Yukari. Who knows what she would consider to be fun?”

“I can’t believe she’s only eleven. She acts so…”

“Perverted?”

“I was going to go with mature, but yea.”

“I think she does it because she’s younger than us. Ms. Sendou is already physically small and doesn’t want to be treated like she is a child.”

“She is a child.”

“She’s smarter than anyone here. Academically.”

Kurumu shrugged as they started down their hallway. The first class they were passing was Ms. Kagome’s. A few students were already at their desks.

“I think that must be rough.”

Kurumu glanced back at Zukkutani.

“Well… if you think about it… what if she wants to do the things girls our age do? You know, like dating.”

Kurumu could see that as an issue. The few guys that had paid Yukari any attention had been promptly called out as pedophiles. It was a glaring dilemma if Yukari desired anything romantic to develop in her high school years. The little witch would graduate before turning fifteen.

As they walked by class two, Kurumu impulsively ducked through the front door. She quickly spied Yukari sitting in the center of the front row. She waved furiously to get the girl’s attention.

“Morning! Smile, Yukari!”

The girl frowned in confusion, lifting her hand for a small wave. Kurumu pressed her index fingers to her cheeks.

“Smile!”

A couple boys in the class laughed and Yukari’s cheeks turned red. She promptly turned her nose away.

“Cut that out, Kurumu.”

Kurumu gagged as Tora yanked her by the strap of her schoolbag.

“You’re embarrassing everyone.”

Kurumu laughed as she waved her hand dismissively.

“She needs to start making friends in her class.”

“I think she gets along fine with Ms. Deshi.”

“Deshi’s creepy. I know she whined about her allergies, but she could get along with Unari if she wanted to.”

“Genzouyaki’s friend?”

“Yea, we ate lunch with them on Monday.”

They paused at the open back door of their classroom.

“Well, this is where I go. See you guys at lunch.”

Kurumu nodded, waving at Zukkutani.

“Meet us here for lunch, Kana.”

“Okay, Ms. Aka… Moka.”

The blonde sheepishly grinned, walking off. The three of them turned to enter the classroom. About a third of the class was present. Both of the track girls were already at their seats, as was Tamaishi and Burumoto. The glossy, black haired Izanai was at his desk, getting his things out of his schoolbag. Natsudera and Chousei were both seated at their desks, chatting.

“Morning, Kurumu. Ms. Akashiya, Ms. Nazohashi.”

Kurumu smiled at Nerume, returning the greeting almost in unison with Moka and Tora. They giggled as they had all used different levels of politeness. Tora smiled, placing a hand on Nerume’s shoulder as she started down the aisle to her desk at the front.

“Morning Tamaishi.”

The bulky boy nodded as they walked behind him, taking their seats in the back row. Hooking her bag on the side of her desk, she waved at Burumoto.

“Morning, Ushio.”

Burumoto laughed, glancing over his shoulder.

“Morning, Kurumu. Morning Akashiya.”

He flashed a grin, gesturing to them.

“You know… our first game is on the eleventh. That’s less than a month.”

Kurumu settled down in her seat, retrieving a notebook and mechanical pencil from her schoolbag. Putting these down on her desk, she leaned back.

“Yea…”

“Maybe you could run an article on the soccer team? It’s a thought.”

“You’re not thinking of some way to get me into a cheerleader outfit?”

“There’s only twenty of us and the coach. Shouldn’t be as hard to do as the whole track team.”

Kurumu chuckled, already having thoughts about doing the choir. She supposed she could do both as that would be about the same size interview wise. She wondered if she should ask Morioka about this. He might not care either way.

“I’ll think about it.”

“I’m sure you’ve seen us in the cafeteria. That’s most of the team. Coach Kotsubo insists that it builds comradery.”

Kurumu smiled, well aware of his lunch group. It would make things convenient for interviews, though there still would be the issue of assembling the team for the photo. She could check with Yamabato over what sort of things his club had planned, since it had been kind of fun working with them.

“Hey, Moka. You said something about doing an article on Ms. Nekonome, right? Maybe you should do Ms. Hitori instead.”

“Is there something wrong with an article on Ms. Nekonome?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“Not really. I was thinking Unari might not appreciate it, and that most of the older students would not care about the life of some single cat lady whom has spent the past decade engaged to a human.”

“She’s engaged to a human? Then wouldn’t that be a good story about the coexistence of monsters and humans?”

“I don’t think every monster is interested in hearing how great that relationship can be. You didn’t spend years in a monster community, Moka. A lot of them tolerate humans because they have to.”

There was a long pause as Moka stared at her desk.

“I guess if it’s a short article I could do Ms. Hitori as well. She’s the home economics teacher, right?”

“Yes, and helped out with the missing girls situation. Rumors were spreading about how involved she was even before our paper was released. I’m sure she would be a hot topic, and Ginei did say she was a popular teacher before Ms. Ishigami started working here.”

“I’ll ask Ginei what he thinks.”

Kurumu smiled as she glanced about the classroom. Hedoyami was waddling across the front of the class, having determined in the first week that walking down the aisle from the back was too much a hassle. Yamabato had slipped in at some point as well as the blonde haired Dokiniji. Irewata and Arashimideru were both taking their seats as Tomisaki hopped through the front door with a bright grin and a wave to whomever was out in the hall. The russet haired boy greeted Nazohashi before slouching into his desk.

They were only missing a handful of students and she noted the platinum haired Ikazuchi walking in through the backdoor. She was not surprised with Shirayuki’s absence. The girl was often tardy, but would make it in the first ten or so minutes of class.

After another minute passed, the smug Takurami walked in, souring her mood. She had not cared much for this guy since he had badmouthed her two weeks ago. It annoyed her that he sat diagonally from her in front of Shirayuki.

“Ms. Kurono.”

She looked over to the hallway, noting Ms. Sasayaki beckoning to her. That was right. The woman had wanted to talk with her at lunch yesterday, but things had happened. Getting up from her desk, she nodded to Moka before walking across the class.

“Ms. Sasayaki?”

“We should talk now.”

“But I have class.”

The elegant woman pleasantly laughed.

“I’m aware of that, but I’d rather steal you away now before something else happens that would prevent our talk.”

Kurumu smiled, supposing she could miss a few minutes of their history class. She followed the teacher out into the hall, noting Ms. Sasayaki was wearing a periwinkle blouse and white jacket with black slacks. They continued down the hall, obviously intent on her science room.

“Ms. Sasayaki. I was wondering if you could check a few other things out for me. Like whether or not there is an actual explanation for how my charm works and this new thing that I found out I could do with my tail.”

“Your tail? What sort of thing are we talking about?”

“I don’t really know. I guess I stick something in my tail into my head and I cause everyone around me to hallucinate.”

The teacher laughed as she stopped at her science lab’s door. She opened it, gesturing for her to enter.

“That sounds fascinating. I would have to see that to have an opinion.”

Kurumu wandered into the class, noting the stool that was setup next to the teacher’s lab station. She walked over to it, stepping up on the little metal rail and turning to take a seat as the teacher shut the door. She frowned upon hearing the click of the lock.

“Ms. Sasayaki?”

“I would prefer nobody walking in on us. This is delicate subject matter.”

The woman walked across the class to take care of the other door.

“That’s fine. I guess if you wanted to see this tail thing, I would need to be someplace where I could not be disturbed. I was told that my body and anybody I take in with me, are unable to move in the physical world.”

“You were told? By whom?”

“Moka. Ms. Akashiya. My friend.”

She heard the other click.

“Ah yes, the vampire girl from your club. That boy of yours is also in a delicate position. But that is a different matter.”

Kurumu turned as Ms. Sasayaki approached.

“Is there something wrong with Tsukune?”

“The Headmaster himself has taken interest in the boy’s condition. He has assured everyone that the situation will be taken care of.”

That did not sound promising.

“Is Tsukune going to be okay?”

“Yes. Vampire’s blood is hard on the body. Most races can withstand the first stage of this process, but Mr. Aono is… special. Right now the concern is more about whether or not he can retain control.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Control? What are you talking about?”

“The fatality of this process is due to rejection. In Mr. Aono’s case it will be more about domination.”

“Huh?”

The woman smiled.

“The Headmaster said things will be fine. You should trust him.”

Ms. Sasayaki gestured to the back of her chair.

“Do you wish to show me this tail process first, or shall we discuss the results of your tests?”

Kurumu managed a smile, wishing they could discuss more about Tsukune. Flipping the back of her skirt up, she eased her tail out. She moved it over to her palm, clasping it as she brought it up for the teacher to see. With a thought she opened the spade end, revealing the shimmering stigma. It still had flecks of blood from yesterday as she had not thought about washing it in the shower this morning.

“So I put this thing into my ear. Or rather, some spot near my ear.”

Yukari had helped her find the spot using the mirror in her schoolbag yesterday. It was not the easiest thing to reach, and it seriously was easier to stab through her earlobe to get to it.

Kurumu titled her head and pushed around her earlobe.

“It’s around here somewhere. You would think showering all these years I would have noticed it, but I guess it’s not like I could have found this without intentionally sticking my finger in it.”

“I would rather you not demonstrate that here.”

“Hmm?”

The woman smiled, reaching over to squeeze her shoulders.

“As a teacher I shouldn’t encourage any student to shove something inside their head. I thought you were speaking figuratively, not literally.”

“Well… that’s how this works.”

“And this puts everyone around you in a trance?”

“That’s my understanding.”

“Perhaps the act causes you to release some sort of hypnotic field.”

Kurumu shrugged, letting her tail go. She absently curled it about the metal stool leg. She recalled Tsukune had been standing and had not been part of their illusory world.

“Maybe. I know that people whom are not drawn in immediately are immune to the effect.”

“That does make it more difficult to explain. Perhaps you would be willing to come to the hospital for some testing.”

“Well… I planned to stop by the hospital to check up on Tsukune tomorrow. If you want, you can do some tests then.”

“Excellent.”

The woman took in a deep breath, clutching her arms against her belly.

“So now comes the talk. Some good news is that you are compatible with just about every monster race. I’m sure there are the normal mating concerns, but if push comes to shove, there is always artificial insemination.”

“What?”

“Well… the analysis of your vaginal fluids highly suggest that your kind would have a very low fertility rate. The enzymes present would destroy most sperm cells, and we are only talking about the fluids your body was producing at the surface. I can only imagine the concentration gets higher the further inside your womb. I would go so far as to say it may be impossible for you to be normally impregnated.”

“That’s silly. I’m here, aren’t I?”

The woman laughed.

“Yes. But you are an only child, right?”

“Yea.”

“This would explain why there are so few of your kind. This is where science could help your species. We can bypass the whole messy step and directly force conception.”

“So… I could have sex with Tsukune and not worry about getting pregnant.”

“The chances of you naturally conceiving are very low. Though this does bring about the next concern.”

Kurumu nodded.

“There are other substances in your spit and vaginal fluids that are highly addictive.”

“What?”

“Are you familiar with opiates?”

Kurumu shook her head. She knew the word but could not recall what it pertained to.

“Heroin?”

Kurumu’s eyes widened.

“Yea. That’s a bad thing.”

“It is. The opiate that your body appears to naturally produce is very similar in structure to Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid created for medicinal purposes in the sixties. It’s so close that I might suspect the creators of that drug had the help of a succubus.”

“How is this possible? Wouldn’t I be affected by this?”

“I would suspect your body is immune to opiates, either because your brain is wired differently or your liver processes the drug into harmless compounds. You might even have an extra organ inside you that handles this. It’s hard to say without taking you in for a full anatomical analysis.”

“So… this talk about me kissing people and making them into slaves-”

“- is based on addiction. Your saliva has a much smaller concentration of the substance, but with enough exposure, it can become addictive. Ingestion is not the fastest way to produce a ‘high’ but it does happen. There are other opiates like codeine that are normally taken as a pill that can become habit forming.”

Kurumu bowed her head, her mind tumbling over the news. It felt unfair.

“Are you saying that I can’t kiss Tsukune?”

“That’s difficult to say. Addiction works differently from person to person even within the same race. It’s all about the brain identifying that which gives it pleasure, and ruthlessly pursuing the means to remain in that state. The particular substance you put out would be regarded as one of the most addictive opiates in the world.”

This was insane. She shook her head slowly. She had thought maybe they would find some harmless hypnosis thing connected to her allure. This was too much.

“Would he die?”

“Through kissing? Possibly. Some humans die with their first usage of heroin. I think odds are higher that he would become addicted and would only overdose if you let him or let him kiss other places.”

“Other places?”

“Your vaginal fluids are far more dangerous than your saliva. If we were making alcohol content comparisons, your kiss would be like the beer you could buy at a convenience store. That’s roughly two to eight percent. Your vaginal fluids would be sitting in the seventy to eighty percent range.”

Just a taste. I need it.

Kurumu’s lower lip trembled as her eyes began to water. She brought her hands up, cupping her head as she tried to swallow back her tears. She felt Ms. Sasayaki press up against her, hands resting on her back. For a long moment, the teacher said nothing as tears rolled down Kurumu’s cheeks.

“I… I think I should ask if you know a Kano Nagare. I saw that he is from your home town.”

She nodded her head, her body trembling. She moved a hand to Ms. Sasayaki’s side as the other covered her mouth. Did that mean anyone could become like Nagare? Did that mean everything was her fault?

“He was brought to the hospital by one of our groundskeepers here on Sunday. He was catatonic. We took some blood samples and noticed the presence of the same opiate from your fluids.”

The woman pulled her in closer, rubbing her hand across Kurumu’s head.

“We sent him home. Back to Tottori. I know the girl I’m holding here could not have done anything to that boy on purpose. Everything will be okay now.”

She knew this, but she knew the truth Tora had spoken. The past was never okay. If this was how it would always be, it was bound to repeat.

* * *

Kurumu walked up the aisle to the front of the class as many of her peers put away their things and headed off to the lunch. Moka was not far behind her and it looked like Tora was about ready to go. Deshi had poked her head in after third period to say a few things with Tora, so the class rep would have the best idea of what was expected from them for this lunch hour.

It had taken some time to calm down from the news this morning. Ms. Sasayaki had then discussed some of the things she should try to avoid. Other than receiving oral sex being a huge no, she also had to avoid French kisses, sharing drinks, and any fetishes that might involve drinking her bath water. The science teacher had reiterated that ingestion was a poor means to take in her drug, but there was no reason to tempt fate.

Another thing the teacher had brought up was public showers. Kurumu’s drug could technically get mixed with shower water and inhaled. While this was hypothetical, Ms. Sasayaki felt the risk was high enough to bring to the Headmaster’s attention. If he agreed, she would end up moved to one of the private suites near Yukari, at no additional cost.

Oddly enough, Ms. Sasayaki felt that sex and giving oral would not be an issue. There were not any documented cases of people taking an opiate through their penis. Her secretions were not some bloodborne pathogen that would actively seek to infect her partner. In Ms. Sasayaki’s opinion, sex was addictive in its own right and it would be difficult to tell if the opiate was to blame without a blood test. However, as a teacher, Ms. Sasayaki strongly discouraged any physical relationship during their high school years.

She had returned to class halfway through the first period, with no real intentions of immediately sharing all of this news. She felt like all of her friends should know about the opiate to avoid any accidents, but she did not want to have this conversation several times. She also wanted Tsukune to know about this first. He was her boyfriend and his opinion mattered the most.

It was hard to say whom else she should tell about this. Probably anyone that would spend considerable time with her. It felt like her partners in home economics should know. Definitely wanted to bring this up to Nerume to hear her opinions on this. Unari too if they were going to go through with that drinking thing at some point.

On a bright note, an announcement had been made shortly after the start of the second period. The student council was taking full responsibility for the misunderstanding between the PSC and the newspaper club and would be redistributing the confiscated papers from Wednesday during the lunch hour. The president himself, along with the other student council officers, would be set up at a table near the registers. There was an open invitation to all members of the PSC and the newspaper club to join them in this endeavor.

“So what are we doing?”

Tora shrugged as she looked to the hall.

“Ms. Deshi said she would come for us. Who was the woman that you spoke to during first period?”

“That was Ms. Sasayaki, the teacher I did my article on.”

“Oh. We should have done pictures for your article.”

“I don’t know if Mr. Nagamushi’s family would have been fine with that.”

“I suppose we did rush that story out.”

Deshi popped her head in through the back door, grinning. Her hand was resting on the shoulder of an annoyed Yukari. The little witch favored them with a glare that demanded some explanation.

“Should we wait for Ms. Zukkutani?”

Kurumu frowned, aware that Zukkutani would share Meirowasa’s class schedule.

“I think she was in gym last period.”

“I wonder if Kana thinks we will be redistributing the papers.”

“I imagine Ginei would be there. Yea… if she sees him helping out, I’m sure she would join him.”

“Then shall we?”

Kurumu followed after Tora down the aisle of desks. She absently let her fingers trail across Hiboshi’s vacant desk. The girl had not come to school, which bothered Kurumu. She had not seen Hiboshi when they had returned to classes yesterday, though she had felt relief about that, assuming the girl would only have angry words to say to her. It was not like Kuyo had hit her hard enough to warrant such a continued absence.

Deshi turned about, gesturing for them to follow as she started down the hall. The girl flipped her staff back up to its usual spot behind her neck and across her shoulders. She walked with a playful, deliberate sway.

“What is going on?”

“We have been invited by the student police to share lunch with them.”

“I have my lunch. I could care less.”

Kurumu laughed, shaking her head.

“You need to smile, Yukari. Make some more friends.”

“I have friends. So why are we following this bitch into a trap?”

Tora smiled as she rested a hand on Yukari’s shoulder.

“I assume this will be a peace offering, Ms. Sendou. Moka and I both doubt that what is left of the PSC would think to attack us again.”

“I’m sure some of them are helping the student council because of the announcement this morning. It would look poorly on them if they avoided the open invitation.”

Yukari sighed, leaning over to wrap her arms about Moka’s torso. She nuzzled her cheek against Moka’s shoulder.

“You are right.”

Moka laughed, freeing her arm to place it around Yukari.

“I want to help with the student council too, but it seems like the lunch with the PSC is still on.”

Deshi grinned, glancing over her shoulder as they turned down the hallway. They were walking away from the cafeteria for some reason, and it did not look like Deshi had any intention of heading down the stairs.

“Indeed. Lord Sabaku would not change plan now. Though suspect you not meet other second years.”

“So this Sabaku is a second year like Koike?”

“Yes.”

That did change the perspective of things. Kurumu had assumed Sabaku would be a third year. If she recalled correctly, Kuyo had mentioned that he preferred doing his PSC recruitment during the second term. This meant Sabaku and Koike had probably not been in the PSC for a year. This guy should not have any business taking over the student police.

“So what is this guy’s angle? What does he want from us?”

“Talk. Explain. You see.”

“Maybe he wants to practice his villainous monologue.”

Kurumu snorted, snatching away Yukari’s hat to tousle her hair. The girl fumed, but did not relinquish her hold on Moka.

“Where are we headed, Ms. Deshi?”

“Lord Sabaku say would have lunch brought to us.”

“Why are we speaking with a second year? Wouldn’t a senior take over the student police?”

Deshi laughed, swaying some before spinning about to face them.

“Only have one senior. Rest in big trouble. Very scandalous.”

“Huh?”

“You see. Come.”

The girl spun about, continuing on as they walked by the grand foyer.

“Is she serious?”

Yukari pointed her nose up with a huff.

“The Headmaster said the PSC only had thirteen members, including Kuyo. That means eleven members are divided between seniors and juniors. We know that three seniors were killed and that Hineri’s older sister is a fourth senior.”

Deshi giggled.

“Only senior now.”

“Oh.”

Kurumu frowned.

“Wait. She’s not in trouble?”

“Why would be?”

“She attacked us.”

“So you say. You attack swim club.”

“That’s not how it happened.”

Deshi giggled again.

“All same. Slap wrist. Be nice. No worries.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes. She could not believe the school would do that, but it did feel in line with their policies. If nobody was killed, a scolding was all it would warrant. The only reason Saizou had been handled so heavy handed was because the faculty had been dragged in to stop him.

“So… that redhead senior is in trouble?”

“Oh yes. Much trouble. Come. Lord Sabaku explain.”

This was intriguing. She had not thought to ask Ms. Sasayaki about Lady Hineri or Kuyo. She knew both were being held at the hospital. No doubt the science teacher knew she was responsible for Lady Hineri’s condition as it would be identical to Nagare’s. She probably had not bothered saying anything as the issue between the PSC and the newspaper club was obvious.

“Is Lady Hineri still in the hospital?”

“Yes.”

That was why they were meeting with Lord Sabaku. It did not take long for them to reach the end of this hallway and start down the last.

“Her sister hasn’t been coming to classes either.”

That was uncharacteristic concern coming from Yukari. Smiling softly, Kurumu reached over to tousle the girl’s hair again. This time she made no fuss.

“We were kicking around the idea of having another sleepover, Yukari.”

“When?”

“It kind of depends on when Tsukune gets better.”

“We’re having a sleepover with Tsukune?”

Kurumu blushed at the thought.

“No! I meant that I would feel better about things if Tsukune was not in the hospital when we do this.”

Tora laughed.

“I’m sure Moka feels the same way. It’s this weird feeling that you don’t have permission to do fun things while someone you care about is suffering.”

Moka winced.

“We don’t know that he’s suffering. He’s just unconscious. I know he will be fine. She promised me.”

“Huh?”

“Conversations with her true form. I was told by Ms. Sasayaki that the Headmaster was taking care of things with Tsukune. He should be fine.”

Tora nodded, glancing away.

“I hope we do it soon. It was nice waking up in my Moka’s arms.”

“What?”

Kurumu chuckled. As Yukari had been first to wake up, there was no way of telling if the girl was joking. Tora was flush.

“You do tend to grab things in your sleep, Moka.”

Kurumu smirked, pointing at Tora.

“I seem to recall waking up with you all over me.”

“Well… I have a body pillow at home. So… well…”

“There’s nothing wrong with cuddling in your sleep.”

“You belittle hugging people.”

“I have no objections to hugging Moka.”

Kurumu smiled, glad that hugging was all the witch was doing. The last thing they needed was for Yukari to get all pervy before they talked with this Lord Sabaku. She pushed the hat back on Yukari’s head, making sure to rub it excessively till Yukari whimpered a protest.

They had finally reached the disciplinary room. Deshi had opened the back door, gesturing for them to enter. The room had been cleaned up since their encounter with Lady Hineri. It looked like any other classroom with five rows of five desks with a teacher podium at the front of the class. An aluminum rack had been wheeled up next to the podium, laden with trays.

Behind the podium stood a broad young man. She recognized him from Wednesday morning as another intimidating figure that had stood in the background. He had huge shoulders and biceps that strained the fabric of the PSC jacket. His stringy black hair was pulled back into rows of braids kneaded tightly to his scalp. His pale eyes noted their arrival, his lips pulling back in a fanged grin.

There were only two other occupants in the room seated in the front row. She recognized Umizake, whom was busily devouring the contents of his tray. The other quickly stood up and was hurrying over to them.

“Meirowasa?”

The girl threw her arms about Tora, hugging the startled class rep tightly.

“Thank you.”

Kurumu placed a hand on Meirowasa’s arm, shrugging at Tora’s confused look. Timidly Tora touched Meirowasa’s sides as the girl took in a deep breath.

“Thank you for avenging him.”

The stocky man at the front cleared his throat loudly. Meirowasa relaxed her grip, giving Tora some space. She smiled.

“Newspaper club, I give welcome. Please help yourselves to a meal. There are more than enough.”

Deshi giggled, walking by them with her eyes slyly open. She flipped her staff up off her shoulders, setting it down on its end on top of a desk in the center of the second row. She left it there, perfectly balanced, moving to join the young man whom must be Lord Sabaku.

“I see Mr. Morioka is not with you. A pity. I would have much preferred speaking with him about this, but the student council announcement caught us off guard as well. I sent the others to assist with that.”

Kurumu slipped her hand over to Tora’s shoulder while moving her other hand to brush Meirowasa’s cheek.

“You okay?”

“I’m sorry, Ms. Meirowasa. I don’t understand.”

“That bastard Hagiwara was one of the three seniors.”

Kurumu nodded. That was the one Kuyo had said filed the report about how Meirowasa’s friend had killed another student. Tora turned her face away.

“I don’t know what you heard, but-”

“I don’t care. He was a murderer.”

“Would you ladies care to join us? I’m trying to host a meeting here.”

Kurumu chuckled, aware that Moka and Yukari had already started in that direction. She held her arms up to Meirowasa, only having to wait a moment before the girl took the cue to give her a hug. Tora nodded her thanks, quickly moving to join the others.

“So what’s the deal with this guy?”

“Don’t really know. Koike told us to come up here, saying him and the others had the student council thing covered.”

“Don’t you mean Lord Koike?”

“Shut up.”

Kurumu smiled. This guy was not going to try anything with Umizake and Meirowasa in the same room. She slipped her hand down to Meirowasa’s waist, taking a step down the aisle. The taller girl stumbled a step, but realized her intent and walked alongside her.

“I felt your club should be the second to know about the restructuring of our prestigious student police.”

“Second?”

“The student council president was notified first this morning. After some discussion last night, we decided to appoint Lady Hineri as our leader.”

Reaching the front of the class, Meirowasa murmured her thanks and slipped free to take her seat. Kurumu continued up towards the aluminum rack as Tora took a tray from it.

“Any reason why you would appoint her as your leader?”

“I am aware your club had something to do with her condition, but you must pardon her for her actions. I believe the young girl hurt her sister.”

Yukari looked aside as she set her tray down next to the desk Moka had claimed. She pointedly grabbed the desk, struggling to spin it about to face the vampire. Smiling, Moka got up to help the girl.

“That does not explain your decision.”

“If you must know, Lady Hineri was in charge of training us during the second term last year. I understand this normally would be handled by a senior, but Lord Kuyo felt her talents were better suited to this task.”

Taking her tray, Kurumu decided not to join Moka and Tora. She wandered over to the empty desk by Meirowasa. She scooted the desk over so the sides almost touched before taking her seat.

“So… um… you are Mr. Sabaku, yes?”

The young man laughed at Tora’s timid inquiry.

“Of course. I apologize. I realize I failed to introduce myself. I am Sabaku Akira from Class 2-10. I am aware of all of you though. Lord Kuyo made certain we knew every member of the newspaper club before the… incident.”

Kurumu smirked.

“How polite.”

“Ms. Deshi mentioned the rest of the seniors were in some sort of trouble.”

“Yes. Hmm… I don’t know if I should explain that.”

Tora frowned.

“You must understand that you are a newspaper club and might write things that would be inconvenient for everyone. I will say that I was instructed by Lady Hineri that if something were to happen to Lord Kuyo, that I would make certain that some paperwork in our shrine was given to the faculty.”

Kurumu pulled off the top of her soup container. Hiboshi had mentioned the two Hineri girls were manipulative.

“I take it that this paperwork is why she is your only senior.”

“That would be correct.”

“Do you know what was in that paperwork?”

The young man shrugged.

“Not exactly. Lord Kuyo was adamant that we would follow orders without question. We were only starting to see the more controversial aspects when Mr. Morioka released his article. We had more first years, two of which left before Kuyo’s actions against the newspaper club. Another left after.”

“So is that all you were looking to discuss?”

“Not at all. The truth of the matter is our numbers have been severely reduced. There’s only so much the four of us second years can do, especially if Lord Koike remains in charge of training these three.”

“Oh, we seem to manage our club fine with our small numbers.”

“Please have mercy on us. Maintaining the discipline and standards of the entire school is too much for three people. I request that the club run an article for us. It is not uncommon for the student police to pull members from other clubs. I was on the Rugby team prior to my decision to join.”

“I suppose we could do that.”

Kurumu looked across the room in surprise.

“Tora!”

The girl smiled sheepishly.

“Well… I needed an idea for an article.”

* * *

Kurumu was sitting on top of Natsudera’s desk with her legs dangling over the side as she mildly watched the boys attend to their classroom duties. Izanai roamed about the classroom, wielding the broom angrily against the grime. His duty partner, Yamazaru, lumbered behind him with the dust pan, complaining about his back every time he stooped down for a pile.

“If he wasn’t so bossy, I wouldn’t mind him as a lab partner.”

“He’s the smartest boy in our class. Just follow his lead.”

Kurumu shrugged as she reached over to casually run her fingers through Moka’s hair. The vampire had taken over Tomisaki’s vacated seat. Her tresses were so silky and smooth.

“I want to do something with her hair.”

“If Moka doesn’t object.”

Kurumu scooted closer to the edge of the desk.

“Lean back.”

Kurumu pushed her fingers deeper into those flowing locks, fingertips touching Moka’s scalp. Putting a little pressure to her fingers, she rubbed them in small circles.

“Kurumu? Mmm.”

Moka tilted her head, leaning further back. The vampire relaxed, closing her eyes. Her head moved slightly, touching against Kurumu’s thigh.

“Or I guess I could just do this.”

Tora smiled.

“This is why Ms. Sendou gets away with so much.”

Kurumu chuckled, nodding as Zukkutani slipped in through the front door.

“Hey, guys. What are we up to?”

Kurumu slipped her fingers out of Moka’s hair to press her hand to the vampire’s cheek. Moka’s eyes fluttered back open with a slight smile.

“Do you have any ideas for what you might want to do for the next paper, Ms. Zukkutani?”

The blonde shrugged.

“More of the same. The fun thing about doing a comic is I only need to come up with a few gags. The pictures take up most of the space.”

“I suppose that’s fair.”

Kurumu noticed Yukari was walking up the aisle towards them. The girl had her schoolbag, but what caught Kurumu’s attention was the frog keychain. Even though they had given it to the girl back on Tuesday, this was the first time she had seen it on Yukari’s bag.

“Did you smile today?”

Yukari glared at her a moment. The witch walked by and leaned up against Moka, rubbing her cheek on Moka’s shoulder.

Nothing special had happened after the lunch with the student police. She had helped as much as she could with the lab project, hence her annoyance with Izanai. At least Natsudera had been more understanding. The flame had startled her. It was not like she had forced him to clean up the mess.

They had cooked another batch of soup in home ec, which meant a lot of free time to talk. She had made a point to try using Meirowasa’s first name, and ended up extending the familiarity to Shindou because she wanted it. She supposed it was fine, since they were technically in the same gym group.

She smiled as she stole Yukari’s hat and set it down on the other side of her hip. The girl frowned but did not protest when Kurumu patted her on the head.

There were so many groups accepting of her. This was so different than Junior High. Sure, there were probably a handful of people that could care less about her. Still… Asuka had given an open invitation to join them for lunch if she was ever interested. She was sure she could take that offer, considering that group had Tobuyoku and Hanetsume from her class.

Tokori, whom certainly would enjoy the company being kind of alone in the student police ranks. Nerume and Satsuki. And of course, these girls. So many more people willing to care than she had thought possible. It made the whole thought of moving forward not so empty. Even if she never told anyone, it felt easier knowing how many would care.

Kurumu rolled her eyes as she felt his lustful presence.

“So how is my lovely harem doing today?”

Zukkutani laughed, waving to Ginei as he came up the aisle with one hand thrust in his pocket while the other brushed his chin.

“I feel sad that I was abandoned during the lunch hour. Only Kana came to rescue me from the wicked student police.”

“I don’t know. You seemed to get along well with that Koike fellow.”

Ginei grinned.

“Is that what it looked like? I was enjoying watching him own up to the mistake his fearless leaders made when messing with the newspaper club.”

Izanai walked into the aisle, favoring them with an annoyed look. He grabbed up his schoolbag from his desk before heading out the front door. Yamazaru soon followed, leaving them alone in the classroom.

“We were eating with Mr. Sabaku.”

Ginei waved dismissively.

“Kousuke told me as much. Mentioned Hineri would be taking over things. Not sure if that’s great, but anything’s better than putting up with Kuyo.”

“He wants us to run an article for student police recruitment.”

Ginei laughed.

“Now that’s irony. I don’t think I can refuse that.”

“Should we discuss our next articles? Moka here was thinking of doing a couple articles on Ms. Nekonome and Ms. Hitori.”

“Yea, and you were going to ask about the Soccer team.”

Ginei grimaced.

“And the choir. Come on, Ginei. I feel like I owe Ushio and Tamaishi.”

Ginei sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

“I really don’t mind if you do those articles. Go ahead and start on them. You don’t need my blessing.”

“I thought we did.”

“Well… yea. But Tora and I will be busy sorting out the mess with the student police and student council for the next few days. We still have a lot of papers to distribute and our finances to discuss. I can’t have you guys sitting around doing nothing without my approval.”

There was the sound of a knock at the backdoor. Sighing heavily, Kurumu glanced down the classroom. She frowned. It was not Ms. Kagome.

Ginei’s homeroom teacher, Ms. Yoshino, strutted into the class with her arms tucked in below the swell of her crimson jacket over the simple white blouse. Her tan slacks whisked across the floor as her black heels clicked firmly.

“Mr. Morioka.”

Ginei smiled, bowing slightly.

“Ms. Yoshino.”

“So how is the… boy… in the hospital?”

Kurumu stiffened.

“Tsukune is doing fine.”

The woman laughed, her yellowish eyes betraying her amusement.

“Is he now? Quite resilient for his kind.”

Kurumu hopped down from the desk, but Ginei took a deliberate step to keep her behind him.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Ms. Yoshino. Every monster has slightly different recovery times. We are talking about someone whom survived a fight with your Prince.”

“Indeed. Surely that information he wrung out of Ms. Ishigami’s slippery neck was wrong. No human could have ever survived his wrath.”

Kurumu glanced at Tora, noting similar concern. Yukari detached herself from a confused vampire. Ginei chuckled, tilting his head.

“Why would anyone believe the words of a deranged woman? She was clearly mad with grief.”

Ms. Yoshino grinned, a fang slipping out the side of her mouth.

“He didn’t. I was asked to confirm this for him. You know, it only takes a little sample, and Odori is very good at what she does.”

She had no idea whom this Odori was, but it sounded like this woman had proof of Tsukune’s humanity. She stepped forward, but Ginei sharply held both of his hands up in surrender, causing her confusion. He was grinning.

“If Ms. Rin wishes to, I’m open to examination.”

“So what is the secret?”

“It’s as you say. No human could have survived that. Isn’t that right, guys?”

This woman was toying with them. Kurumu nodded slowly, aware that the others were doing the same. Well… not Kana. She was clueless. Eventually the blonde nodded.

“That won’t do, Mr. Morioka. I have to report something back to my family in regards to how our Prince Kuyo was defeated.”

Ginei smirked.

“We’re not supposed to chat about true forms.”

The woman laughed again, stepping in and reaching up to caress the side of Ginei’s cheek.

“Oh? Not many could hope to defeat one such as our Prince. Are you wanting to claim a mere werewolf bested him?”

“Is there something wrong with that conclusion?”

Spectral flares shimmered into existence behind the woman.

“Do you wish for me to test that?”

“You underestimate my speed.”

She grinned as the flames coalesced into phantom images of her likeness. The images laughed, though not in unison.

“Do I?”

The pitch intensified. Kurumu grimaced as her head began to ache. She slapped her hands to her ears, aware that everyone else was doing the same.

Scowling, Ginei faltered back a step.

“If you insist, a vampire defeated him.”

The laughter returned to its original nuisance. Ms. Yoshino grinned, her eyes flickering with fire.

“That won’t do. I’ve heard the testimonies concerning the PSC. I am their advisor.”

Kurumu grimaced, lowering her hands from her ears.

“Perhaps you should have supervised your club better.”

Ms. Yoshino giggled, this time her phantoms joining her in unison.

“Should we hold Ms. Nekonome accountable for every silly thing your club has done?”

“What do you want, Ms. Yoshino.”

“A true statement. I know Ms. Akashiya is not responsible for his defeat. Her testimony was pathetic. It’s like she passed out, missing the whole fight.”

Kurumu realized the issue. Should they confess about Moka’s seal and how this Moka had no memory of the fight? Would that satisfy this woman?

Ginei sighed heavily.

“Mr. Aono is a vampire. He defeated Kuyo.”

Kurumu flinched.

“Really? But that should be impossible.”

Ginei turned aside, regarding them sternly.

“You can ask around. Mr. Aono and Ms. Akashiya became close friends upon entering school because she found out he was a vampire.”

Moka frowned, but Yukari quickly placed a hand on Moka’s shoulder.

“I can attest to this. Tsukune turned into a vampire to defeat Kuyo.”

Ms. Yoshino tilted her head back, favoring them with a fanged smirk.

“I suppose that could be possible.”

Ginei turned back to regard the woman, crossing his arms.

“True forms are supposed to be a secret. Tsukune hid his very well, usually letting Moka or someone else handle any problems that happened. That could be why Ms. Ishigami thought he was weak.”

Kurumu felt conflicted. Was it bad if they let this rumor spread? Nobody would mess with Tsukune the vampire, right?

“I suppose that shall do.”

The woman grinned, looking over them. Her phantom imaged flickered and faded from existence.

“Vampires, then. I presume him to be somehow related with the Shuzen household? It would not be wise to cause her problems.”

“Yea… that’s how it is.”

The woman slipped her fingers into her blouse. She smiled as she pulled something out by a black string, turning her head slightly to avoid the object in her blouse. A yellow omamori patterned with tongues of red flames dangled in her grasp. Turning her wrist, she held the charm out to Ginei.

“Then this belongs to the victor.”

Ginei chuckled holding his palm up.

“What’s this for? A charm for good grades?”

“A peace offering from our clan. The owner is free to do whatever he wishes with it.”

Yukari’s eyes widened.

“Don’t take that!”

Ms. Yoshino chuckled, dropping it into Ginei’s palm. Kurumu winced, worried something bad would happen.

“Did you defeat Prince Kuyo, Ms. Sendou?”

As Yukari shook her head, Ginei looked over the charm in his hands.

“Then it is not yours to refuse. I trust Mr. Aono will take good care of it.”

Kurumu held her hand out for the charm. Ginei shrugged, handing it over to her. There was nothing special about the thing. It looked like any other omamori charm. Frowning she handed it over to Yukari.

A woman cleared her throat, drawing their attention to the back of the class.

“Ms. Kurono. I believe it is time for your lesson.”

Ms. Yoshino chuckled, turning away. She walked down the aisle towards the stern looking Ms. Kagome.

“It’s been a pleasure, Mr. Morioka. Thank you for your cooperation.”


	34. Family Matters

April 13th

❤ ❤ ❤ My Baby Girl ❤ ❤ ❤

It’s only been a few days but it feels like so long. It’s so different to not have you home every day. To not see your face. To not hear your voice. To not know if my baby is safe.

If there is anything from your room that you may have forgotten, let me know. I will do what I can to get it to you. I promise I won’t rummage through your things. I know you hate that.

I just noticed something the other day when looking through the names of the faculty. An old friend of mine is a history teacher there. I haven’t spoken with her in years. Not since you were born. I was thinking I might write to her, if that was okay with you. I don’t want to trouble you.

I wonder if any of my other old friends still haunt those halls. If they ever think of me. What would they think of me now?

I’m sorry if my past ends up an inconvenience to you. Please understand my decision in sending you there. I knew Sankei would have been far more difficult, and all the other promising schools are too expensive for out of prefecture students. I had to take advantage of the alumni discount.

I hope you’re eating well and keeping safe. I know I’ve said it at least a dozen times, but Yokai will be a much bigger school than you are used to, with all sorts of people with different opinions on what is acceptable. Don’t hesitate to use those pretty eyes.

I know you hate the idea, but please reconsider my suggestion. A teacher would be an excellent guardian for you. You don’t have to do anything. Just let him watch over you, protect you. It’s better than trying to guess which popular boy is going to work out. You have to stay safe.

Always thinking of my little star ★ ★ ★

* * *

April 19th

☺ ❤ ♀ My Only Love ♀ ❤ ☺

I realize you must be busy. I remember my first couple weeks at Yokai academy. All the different clubs clamoring for my attention. They did know how to make a girl feel wanted.

I wonder what club you will decide to join. They were making that mandatory when I was there. I could not imagine how boring things would have been without a club. There was so little else to do in that tiny town. I wonder what it’s like now.

Is there still a broadcasting club? It’s been so long. You might not believe it, but I was very shy at your age. The broadcasting club was a fun way to talk to people without that silly charm messing things up. I don’t think I ever told you, but your father was also part of that club. So many memories.

Not much has changed since you left. The house may be a little messier, but I’m trying to adjust. You did spoil me.

I hope you have found yourself a favorable companion. I know how angry you were about the Takada boy not working out, but you will understand. While the men in our lives will come and go, it is necessary. Even if we lose our desire, we will always need theirs.

Please write home. I long to know what you are doing, how you are feeling. I know you might still be upset, but you are not ready for that world. It would break you. Be patient, my love. I promise Yokai Academy will be a place you will look back fondly upon and cherish for the rest of your life.

After you graduate, we will find a good college and you will have a future unlike mine. I know that’s what you want. And I will do all in my power to help you have that. I will be there for you as I always have been, and always shall be. Be safe.

You are always in my heart 💘 💘 💘

* * *

April 27th

ψ 👿 ψ 👿 ψ My stubborn little devil ψ 👿 ψ 👿 ψ

I was starting to worry my letters were not reaching you. The postman assures me this is not the case. Are you not reading them? I don’t know what you expect from me. Please respond. Even if it’s just a sentence. You should at least tell me you’re okay.

It’s been nearly three weeks since I spoke with you. I knew this was going to be hard. A part of me thinks the next thirteen weeks will pass by quickly and you will return home like nothing has happened. Nothing has changed. The rest of me is scared you will never want to come back.

As I stare at this page, I feel like there should be so much more to write. But I know if you were to come through that front door right now, all I would want is to hold you. I don’t need to say anything. Having you close to me has always been enough.

I was reminded that the mail for Yokai is handled once a week. I do hope I am worrying over nothing and that I will be receiving some message that you are safe. Know that I love you and would do anything for you.

Take care, my Kurumu ღ ღ ღ

* * *

May 2nd

💞 💞 My miracle child 💞 💞 

While I should have waited for a response, I hoped maybe that you would be interested in some things about my past. We never really talked about me. Somehow we would always end up in an argument about your father, and it was painful talking about him.

You never asked why I was an alumni of Yokai Academy. I grew up in a small village called Hekitawa, deep in the wilderness of the Aga district. It was a small place, not even big enough to support a junior high. There were only seven of us in my class.

I told you that your grandparents passed away, but it was when I was very young. I don’t have any memories of my father. I'm sorry you ended up the same, but that’s just part of our curse. All I remember of my mother was her crying. Often.

I was only three. I was told that my parents had been with the village less than a year, and that the elders had considered turning me over to the human town. It made sense. I looked human. Their biggest concern was if they would be held responsible for abandoning me to the humans.

The Ashibue family took me in since they had lost their baby girl earlier that year. Things were happy for years. But you know how things change once you mature. My junior high years were difficult, though not due to school. My new mother could not come to terms with how infatuated her husband had become with me. I tried so hard but it didn’t work. I was strongly advised to leave, so I did not finish my last year of junior high.

My custody was transferred over to Fairy Tale. They offered me a job, on the condition that I completed a high school education. I was given the choice of attending Yokai Academy or Hisoshi High. Since Yokai had the potential of college, I decided to prolong my commitment to Fairy Tale as long as possible.

So that’s how I met your father. He helped me find a purpose. Made me feel like all my troubles and hardships had been worth it.

After I turned eighteen, Fairy Tale wanted me to commit to work. They weren’t interested in me pursuing a human degree, since it was not required for the work they had in mind. Not that I had been smart enough to go to college. I was fortunate to meet graduation standards.

I guess you are lucky I waited till the end of the second term. Your father had insisted I at least pass my term exams, guaranteeing my graduation before doing anything irrational. We fled. As far as his money could take us.

You know most of the rest. I know you’re still angry that he left us, but he could not stay with us. You don’t know how difficult it was for him. In such a short time, he was only a shadow of the man I had once loved. It was best for all of us.

Please, Kurumu. Please tell me you’re okay. You’re all I have. You know that. Don’t pretend like the other men mean anything. You know why. You’ve felt why. It doesn’t get easier.

I’m always thinking of you. I love you more than anything.

* * *

Kurumu hesitantly turned her small key in the lock of the row of boxes near the housemother’s desk. Drawing the tiny door back, she sighed. Sure enough, there was another letter. Fishing it out of the small chute, she turned it over in her hands and stowed it away in her schoolbag. She pushed the door shut and turned the key back in place.

She regretted reading those letters this morning. She had only wanted to kill some time because she had finished showering and dressing before six thirty. Now she was going to feel crummy all day.

She walked over to the small recess, sitting down to put on her shoes. That last letter had been done maybe a day before the uniform bill was forwarded. Maybe. She was surprised she had not gotten two letters that week. There was no way Mom would not say something about extra costs.

As she laced up her shoes, she wondered if she should read the next letter. What would Mom say about the bill? She would not be accused of frivolous spending. Mom would be worried. Worried she got hurt. Why else would she need a new uniform? She really had to write something back, though mail would not be taken out till next Friday.

That was an article she should suggest to Tsukune when he wakes up. This mail system was terrible. When Tora complains about something, it was serious. Getting to her feet, she flashed her card and walked out into the morning.

It was a pain being up this early. Breakfast was served until ten on the weekdays, so most students slept in. Some skipped the meal outright, considering the cafeteria only shut down for an hour before lunch started up. She had this feeling she would wake up early tomorrow, simply because her internal clock was rigged.

She wondered when she should write the letter. What should she write? She had half a mind to take Mom up on the offer of throwing back a simple sentence stating she was fine. She could talk about her club and the new friends she had made. She could thank her for that.

Perhaps she should have reinvented her mother. It was not like anyone here would have ever known. There was no rumors circulating in the background. No housewives muttering under their breaths about how her mother put food on the table. She had been so focused on changing her own image that she had missed the chance. She could not backpedal from her angry offhand comments.

Her mother was stupid. One of her many escorts had been a married man within the faculty of her grade school. Nothing like being told by a teacher that your mother was a whore at the age of six. Mother had done it to keep her safe and to have someone close by to watch over her. But when a teacher hates you… little kids did not need much of a reason to isolate someone over differences.

She was six. She had not been paying attention to the men mother brought home. She had not asked how the bills were being paid. Mother was her world, her everything. They laughed together. Played together. Her mother surrounded her with so much adoration, attention and love that the school issues had not mattered. It was normal for other kids to not like her. When she complained, her mother would hug and cuddle her till she felt better. And for years, that was enough for her. She could ignore the insults, knowing that one day one of these men would make her mother happy and they would finally be a real family.

That hope died. She still remembered the panic that morning, waking up with a tail that should not have been there. Learning that she was not even human. It was too much for hugs and kisses. Things would never be normal for her.

All the fighting about father, her mother's antics and her rough school life had started weeks after the move to Kengamine. Her mother had seduced another teacher under the premise of making Kurumu's life easier at school. Even with the shortness of the third term, the rumors about her mother's activities had already begun to circulate by the end of her fourth grade year.

She had learned about her allure before it had manifested. Mother had warned her that the need for desire would follow. That she would need the attention of men to survive. She had not believed such nonsense, finding it hard to understand why Mother had not settled down. There had been so many good men over the years. So many.

Her mother was right about Sankei. The only thing that would have changed was the class size, since the high school in Kengamine pulled in students from all over the prefecture. Not that Tottori had a large monster population. She had known her class size would have tripled, but still would not crack the hundred mark. There would have been too many familiar faces. Too many that knew her reputation. It would have been horrible.

As she noticed the dining hall drawing closer, she took in a deep breath. It had been a month. Things had been so busy here. She spent more time thinking about Tsukune, Moka and the club than sparing thoughts for her lonely mother. It was not like everything had been bad. Mother had never stopped caring. Every day after school she would ask how things were and would try to placate her with hugs and kisses.

For all the razz she had given Tsukune, she was reluctant to mention him in whatever she decided to write. Mother had only been teasing about kissing and making slaves. What would Mother have done if Takada had succumbed to her kiss? That would have been a bit late to explain the dangers. Was it possible Mother did not know, despite all those years, all those different men? No. If anything that was why there had been that many. It made sense that Mother would push any guy away that had become too addicted to her kiss.

Civil. She would be civil and polite. There was no reason to cause grief. All of that was behind her now. Her mother was not going to change the way she paid the bills, and it was not like that would impact her life at Yokai.

She entered the dining hall, taking note of her fellow students beleaguered with remedial lessons. For some reason Tora was sitting at a table by herself, reading a book while absently picking at her breakfast. Smiling, Kurumu wandered over to the table, dropping her schoolbag hard enough to catch Tora's attention.

“Morning.”

“Morning, Kurumu. You're here early.”

It was only five after seven.

“Is the student council meeting early?”

“It's at nine and usually runs for an hour.”

“So why are you here?”

Tora shrugged, setting the book down next to her tray.

“I woke up and had nothing better to do.”

“I'm going to go get breakfast.”

Tora nodded, turning her attention back to the book as Kurumu headed off to the short line. She glanced about, supposing there were not remedial lessons for the upperclassmen. The present group was much too small for that. It took less than five minutes to get a tray, select her meal and check out at the register. She had added a hearty portion of sausage and eggs to her normal breakfast selections.

As she walked back to Tora's table, she noted Nerume walking through the door with Unari and Kakeru. Balancing her tray, she waved with her hand holding her juice can. Smiling when they acknowledged her, she continued over to Tora and sat down.

“How much do you think it would cost to send one of our papers to my Mother?”

“Now that's an idea. I wonder if Senior would let us have a couple spares before handing out the rest to our sponsor's in town.”

Kurumu snapped her sticks apart.

“I finally read the letters from my mother.”

“Have you not written to her yet? The mail went out yesterday.”

“Things were crazy mid week. I wasn't thinking about letters.”

“I believe you mentioned you were an only child. If your mother is anything like my father…”

Tora shook her head as Kurumu took a mouthful of eggs. Kurumu shrugged, chewing till she could swallow.

“I think sending her a paper would be good enough.”

“Write the poor woman. It only takes a half hour of your time.”

“I don't know what I would say. I've never written a letter before.”

“You can write anything. It's the effort that counts.”

“Thanks for sending me to Yokai. This time away from you has been the best days of my life.”

“Please don't write that.”

Kurumu grinned as she resumed her progress on her eggs.

“Did you want to join us? Ginei wanted to meet up at the arcade around three to distribute our leftovers about Mononoke.”

Kurumu shook her head.

“What else would you do? I know you're going to come with us to the hospital to visit Tsukune. You're not planning to spend the whole day in his room?”

She finished off her eggs, thinking she should have added a second portion.

“Ms. Sasayaki wanted me to participate in some more tests.”

“What were you planning to have tested?”

Having read Moka's article, Tora was aware of Ms. Sasayaki's dual employment. Kurumu could not say how much Tora knew about her tests. Tsukune and Yukari knew about it, but she doubted either would have mentioned it to the others.

“Just things. You know, make sure I'm safe for Tsukune. That sort of stuff.”

“Morning, Kurumu.”

Kurumu smiled, gesturing to the spot next to her. Nerume promptly sat down while Unari took the spot on Nerume's other side. Kakeru quietly took a seat across from Unari, leaving a gap between her and Tora.

“Have you met everyone here, Tora?”

“I'm familiar with Ms. Genzouyaki and Ms. Kakeru. I've seen you around.”

“Unari. Unari Satsuki. You're their class rep.”

“Yes. Nazohashi Tora. Anyways, we were planning to leave the dining hall around noon to meet up with Yukari at the hospital. I know what with Ms. Kagome's lessons you missed the whole planning of the visit.”

“Thanks, Tora.”

“Who's in the hospital this time?”

“Beg your pardon?”

Unari shrugged.

“Just seems like a lot of people hospitalized lately. The other day in shop Kinzoku mentioned several girls were hospitalized.”

“Those are the girls that went missing. Some were in worse condition than others.”

“I noticed you were hanging out with one of the blondes from the posters.”

Kurumu smiled, swallowing down her toast.

“That would be Zukkutani. She joined the club as our illustrator.”

“She did the comic? That was some strange stuff.”

“Speaking of which, Ms. Zukkutani said she would be spending the day with the other girls from Fukui.”

Kurumu waved dismissively, not expecting Zukkutani to have any desire to be back in a hospital so soon. For all they knew, Kuyo was being held somewhere in there. It was not like Ms. Yoshino had said anything to suggest otherwise.

“So who is in the hospital? I know it's not the little kid and I saw Moka in class yesterday.”

“Mr. Aono is in recovery after defeating the former leader of the PSC.”

Unari regarded Tora dubiously.

“Really? Wasn't the leader of the PSC some thirty year old guy that's been running the security of the school the past decade?”

“Is this a rumor?”

“I thought that's what Auntie said. Warned me to keep clear of his club.”

“As if you would join the student police.”

“It sounded cool and nobody would have messed with me.”

Kurumu chuckled, aware that some applications had been turned down.

“Did you try joining them?”

“It was worth a shot.”

Nerume laughed, tousling Unari's hair.

“I'm sure Ms. Sunao's poetry club is fine.”

“Boring is more like it.”

“You may as well join my club.”

“Yes. Astronomy is a vast improvement over poetry. I'll just kill myself now.”

Unari took her chopsticks and pointed them at her chest. She poked her modest breasts and dramatically sprawled across the table with her eyes closed and tongue lolling out the side of her mouth.

Kakeru reached over, timidly touching Unari's head with concern.

“So Kakeru.”

The girl snapped back her hand, smiling apologetically.

“What did you think of the article? Did the girls from the track team have any comments? Complaints?”

“Oh. I didn't ask.”

Unari picked herself up from the table to start eating. She had no qualms against talking with a mouthful of rice.

“Don't you have some track girls in your class and in home ec? They could answer your questions better than her, considering she barely hangs out with any of them.”

Shindou and Taijin had been agreeable for the most part about the article. She had not thought to ask Hanetsume or Tobuyoku, though they probably would not think much differently.

“You know you can join multiple clubs. Maybe you should think about joining the fashion club with your friend, Goto.”

Kakeru managed a smile.

“I don't think I could. We will practice all year long.”

“You won't practice in the winter.”

“I… maybe.”

“What would a girl like her know about fashion?”

“I think Ms. Kakeru is very elegant and reserved. I'm sure with a little practice she could look like any other model on a magazine cover.”

“Oh, I couldn't do that.”

“I think her hair is interesting. The long tail in the back and the short, ruffled hair on the top and sides. Did Goto do that?”

Kakeru nodded, smiling.

“That girl has a unique hairstyle. You haven't met her, Tora, but I know you'd find it interesting.”

“Goto is such a fake. She tries too hard to look like some glam gal.”

“You're mean. Tama's a sweetheart.”

“You say that because she's not manhandling you all the time. Have you seen the size of her hands? That girl is big everywhere.”

Nerume chuckled poking Kurumu's right tit.

“Not big everywhere.”

“That's not a fair example. Kurumu is like a freak of nature.”

“Hey!”

“No, seriously. Big girls are fine with big boobs. How did someone so little end up with those?”

Kurumu smirked, aware that Kakeru was probably a B cup at best. Unari arguably looked bigger, though her smaller frame made it hard to judge fairly.

“Well… I'm a succubus.”

“Yea, yea, we know. Still. How tall are you, Kakeru?”

“Huh?”

“How tall?”

“Uh… 184 cm.”

“Yea. So I'm just shy of 160. I think I should put a height restriction on my friend list. Nobody over 170 allowed.”

Kakeru frowned, looking at her food disheartened.

“That's extremely rude, Ms. Unari.”

“I'm fine with you. What are you, roughly 155?”

“I believe so.”

Kurumu shrugged aware that Tora was a hair taller than her.

“And Nerume here is almost 150. Do we really want a girl this much bigger than us hanging around?”

“Again. Rude.”

“I'm not. Kakeru. If you have any hope of ever attracting a guy, you will do yourself a favor and find taller friends. I've seen some of the track girls like Taijin and Matsudera and think you should spend more time with them instead of hanging around a bunch of girls half your size. It makes you stand out and not in a good way.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“Honestly if Goto was here she wouldn't stand out as much.”

Unari scowled, stabbing at her food.

“We had Goto with us at lunch earlier this week. It still felt weird. Maybe if the group was more balanced, yea, but-”

“Satsuki worries others will treat her like a little girl if she hangs out with tall girls. She was like this in junior high.”

“It happens to you all the time. There was a guy muttering about you being a grade schooler the other day.”

Kurumu could see that, considering Nerume could not be that much taller than Yukari. Having little left on her tray, Kurumu opened her can and took a drink. She wondered if Yukari was taller than the Dakuhime girl.

“Well if you want to surround yourself with short friends, I could make a couple suggestions.”

Unari rolled her eyes.

“I'm not interested in being friends with the Sendou brat. Nobody tries to be friends with her.”

“Ms. Deshi speaks with her on occasion.”

Kurumu smirked.

“Deshi is mischievous. I don't think she qualifies as a friend.”

“I'm surprised you put up with her.”

Nerume rested a hand on Kurumu's shoulder.

“Did you speak with that Sakamori girl? If we were going to do something, it would have to be tonight.”

“I did, but I didn't make any plans. She's in remedial lessons in Nagamushi's class, so we could see if she shows up or wait till after class.”

“I don't think I should.”

“We weren't planning to invite you, flagpole.”

“What sort of plans are we talking about?”

Kurumu grinned at Tora's inquiry.

“Bad girl stuff. You wouldn't want involved.”

“Oh, right. She's your class rep. Why would you bring that up, Nerume?”

Kurumu set her can down, almost finished. She thought about the drinking sleepover and how convenient it had been to sleepover at Yukari's.

“You know Meirowasa lives off campus and knows Sakamori. Maybe we should ask her if she's interested.”

“Who's Meirowasa?”

“Why do I have a feeling I shouldn't ask questions?”

“She's another girl from home ec, partners with Shindou and Taijin. It would keep us out of the dorms so less worry about the noise.”

“Does she have her own apartment or is she living with family?”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I wouldn't know. I don't think she's in remedial lessons though, so we would have to wait for next weekend.”

“It could be like a celebration for passing the tests.”

“Or comfort for failing them.”

The two laughed. Shaking her head, Tora got up from her seat. She grabbed her tray and placed her book on it.

“I think I should be going before I overhear something I should report.”

Kurumu glanced at her watch, noting it was getting a bit late and they all should be heading to school. Still it was early for Tora.

“Going back to the dorms?”

“May as well wake up Moka. Some classes send two people to the council meetings, and I forgot to ask Tomisaki.”

“Speaking of forgetting, you still haven't given me that disposable razor.”

Tora rolled her eyes. Shaking her head, she started off.

“I suppose I can bring you one. I will see you later, Kurumu.”

Kurumu waved, picking up her can to finish off her juice.

“What do you need a razor for?”

Nerume laughed.

“Some of us shave our legs and armpits, Satsuki.”

“I don't need it for that. Guess that's another succubus benefit.”

Nerume frowned.

“What would you need it for then?”

“Oh… other places.”

Nerume stared at her for a long moment. Kurumu smiled with a glance down.

“Oh! You mean that.”

“What are you talking about?”

Nerume leaned over and breathed against Unari's ear.

“Why would you want to do that? That's like the pride of being a woman.”

“She has a boyfriend.”

“So? Is he into little girls or something?”

Nerume leaned in again, whispering more words. Unari grimaced.

“People do that? That's gross.”

Kurumu chuckled, getting up from her seat. It looked like everyone was done eating. Well, not Nerume. The tiny girl had grabbed way too much but there was no time to put that down.

“I'm not having him do anything like that. I just wanted to try something different.”

Maybe not. Realizing the time and that they were getting up, the girl looked like she was going to try.

“You're going to choke.”

Nerume wagged a finger at Unari as the girl got up. Returning her hand to the tray, Nerume lowered her mouth closer to the tray to use her sticks more like a shovel.

Grinning, Kurumu shook her head as she walked off.

* * *

“Are you going to get drunk with those girls?”

This was like the fourth time Tora had asked during the walk to the hospital. Kurumu sighed, shaking her head.

“It’s just a sleepover, no different from what we did.”

Sakamori had such a big mouth. They had met up with the girl after remedial lessons and accompanied her on the walk back to the dorms. Unari had quickly realized this was the drunken flake that caused their gym teacher grief and had nearly backed out of the idea. Pointing out that Sakamori was another short girl, though she was always slouching, Nerume convinced her finicky friend to stick with the plan. All that remained was checking with Meirowasa if they could have a more secure location.

Thinking that she might avoid Tora, Kurumu had suggested eating lunch together before heading to the dorms. That had failed. For some reason, Moka and Tora had been in the lunch hall. Moka had spotted her and dragged the reluctant Tora over for some pleasantries.

It was like the third or fourth slurred comment out of Sakamori’s mouth. All of them had awkwardly denied the daft redhead’s declaration of debauchery. It was not like Tora and Moka knew nothing about the little troublemaker. The girl wandered about more obtrusively than any other student shirking their gym responsibilities.

“I doubt that. Our sleepover did not include a girl that has a reputation for drinking on campus.”

“Yea, our sleepover had a girl known for molesting Moka. Major improvement.”

Moka blushed.

“You guys don’t stop her.”

“You! You need to stop her.”

“I don’t know. I feel like I should report this to Ms. Nekonome.”

“That’s silly. How can you turn us in on something we haven’t done?”

“People can be charged with premeditated crimes.”

“At a school that ignores murder after a week?”

“You do have a point.”

“Even if we did decide to do some drinking, it would only be an issue if we were inviting guys over.”

“I would think the acquisition of the alcohol is criminal enough.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“We’re not going to buy any alcohol. Trust me. We can’t afford it and we’re all underage.”

“When I first saw that drunken girl, I was starting to think that monsters didn’t have a drinking age.”

Kurumu shrugged.

“I don’t know that we officially do. But this is Yokai which emulates human rules. What is the drinking age, anyways?”

“Twenty. How do you not know this?”

“Why would I know this? I’ve never tried buying alcohol.”

“I think this is a bad decision. Moka, you should back me on this.”

“How is wanting to have a sleepover a bad decision? We can’t buy alcohol. I don’t think. Even if we could, we’re all broke. It’s just a sleepover.”

“A sleepover off campus.”

“We don’t know that yet. I have to ask Meirowasa if she’s interested.”

Tora shook her head.

“I swear. I knew it from day one that you were a delinquent.”

“Maybe. But I’m still taking you out flying tomorrow after church.”

“I never agreed to that.”

“I would like to see that. I’ve never seen your true form, Tora.”

“I’ve never seen yours.”

“You’re not missing much. Just a silver haired version of Moka with crimson eyes and a foul mood.”

“That’s not a nice thing to say about her.”

Kurumu shrugged noting the tall structure of the hospital coming into view as the trees thinned. She took in a deep breath, enjoying the warmth of the midday sun and the scent of the forest. Birds called to each other as the flitted in the boughs overhead.

She wondered if it was strange that the three of them were in their uniforms. Technically it was a weekend, but with these two showing up for a student council meeting and her remedial lessons, nobody had felt like changing. They had only stopped at the dorms to put away their schoolbags and for her to add a disposable razor to her shower things in her closet. Tora had also given her some shaving lotion, saying that she would regret it if she tried doing this with water only. Not speaking from experience. Of course not.

“Do you think Yukari will be waiting for us?”

“Likely. We’re running late.”

Not really. It was only eight after one and they could easily get to the hospital in less than ten minutes. It was not that far of a walk down the bike path that tied the school to the small town.

“Do you think it was a good idea for Ginei to say Tsukune was a vampire?”

Kurumu glanced at Tora, hoping she would have an answer. As far as Kurumu knew, Moka still had no idea that Tsukune had defeated Kuyo with her vampire blood. For Moka, Ginei’s claim was an outright lie.

“I’m not sure what he could have said to appease Ms. Yoshino. She’s his homeroom teacher, so he would know best.”

“I have mixed feelings on it. There’s nobody in Kengamine that would think of fighting a vampire. But I’ve never been in a school with people like Saizou and Kuyo.”

“But… I feel like lying to her will only cause more problems.”

“What could we have done? It sounded like she knew the truth.”

Kurumu nodded in agreement. There was no doubt in her mind that Ms. Yoshino had known thanks to something the acrobatic Ms. Rin had done. Ginei had mentioned the other woman was a science teacher.

“Was there something dangerous about the thing Ms. Yoshino gave Ginei?”

“Not that I’m aware of. After you left, we asked Yukari about it. The only thing she said was that we should be careful not to damage it.”

“Did she say why?”

“No. I don’t think she would have given it back to Ginei if something bad could happen.”

“She said it was for Tsukune. I wonder if it’s safe to give it to him.”

That was the big question. Ms. Yoshino had mentioned it was not something they could reject. The charm belonged to Tsukune. She would have to ask Yukari about it.

“So did Yukari decide on an article?”

“Not really. She’s not that interested in writing articles and Ginei had to rewrite a lot of her first story to make it appealing.”

“She made suggestions, but they were not the sort of things I would think you would read in a school paper. Or a normal paper.”

Kurumu noted they were getting close. If there was not a sign in the front stating otherwise, it would have been mistaken for an office building. It was not like there was a drive for an ambulance. A row of bike racks flanked the sidewalk leading up to the front entrance.

“Did you ever get your bike fixed?”

“I did two weeks ago.”

“Oh. I never see you ride it.”

“There’s no bike racks at school.”

Actually there were but they were all the way out by the faculty parking lot for some reason.

“Do you have a bike, Tora?”

“I’ve never thought to own one. My father would drive me to and from school.”

“Aren’t you a princess.”

They reached the end of the walk, laughing as they turned towards the door. Moka paused, her hand grabbing Kurumu by the sleeve. Kurumu frowned.

“What?”

Moka stared at the entrance. A familiar woman stood in front of the doors, dressed in a black, curve fitting mini dress. She had short silver hair and tanned skin. A diamond cross pin pushed back her bangs on the left side while her other bangs gently curved down, brushing against her cheek.

“Mother.”

Yukari stood next to the woman on her right, her attention drawn to them. The little witch grinned, bounding over to them in her hat and cape. She had a simple white blouse beneath that was tucked in a black skirt. Her black flats clipped the paved walk as she held her hands up to Moka.

“Moka! You’re mother’s such a nice person!”

Standing on the woman’s left was another young girl with reddish pigtails and shoulder length hair. The young girl wore a red sailor uniform with a white collar and a red tie that matched the ribbons in her hair. A tan, plaid skirt circled her waist.

The woman glanced over at the girl at her side.

“Heel.”

Moka’s mother started towards them with the young girl a full step behind. Her firm expression did not change as she approached like a cat, lithe and confident. Her crimson eyes were fixed on Moka.

“Mother. I thought you said you would not come.”

The woman stopped within reach of Moka. She gestured sharply to her side, prompting the young girl to halt. Moka’s mother tilted her head slightly.

“Yes. Why am I here instead of attending to my affairs with the Miao family? Would you care to answer that, child?”

Moka glanced away.

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Do not turn your eyes from me, child.”

Moka’s mother snaked a hand out to grab Moka by the chin, forcing her to face forward.

“You will answer my question.”

Kurumu shuddered, gently touching Moka’s side.

“My birthday?”

The woman’s hand moved so fast, striking Moka’s cheek with such force to cause her to stagger. Her mother's hand remained up, index finger pointed with the rest curled in a loose fist.

“Do you intend to play ignorant?”

“The Rite-”

“Kokoa.”

The young girl bowed her head.

“Yes, Mother.”

Moka brought her face forward, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Explain yourself.”

“I don’t-”

This time when the woman’s hand struck Moka, Kurumu stepped up to put herself in between the vampires. She had to protect Moka. She raised a palm to push the older woman back.

The speed of the woman’s hand was remarkable. It grabbed Kurumu by the collar as those crimson eyes turned on her. Kurumu grabbed the woman by the arm, but she felt paralyzed under that gaze. It looked through her. Beyond. There was no bottom to the swirling blood.

“Mother, please!”

Kurumu gasped as the woman looked away. The woman’s hand snaked from her collar to caress her cheek and then moved to pat her on top of her head.

“She has pretty eyes.”

“Mrs. Shuzen. Moka has no memory of giving Tsukune blood. That happened when her seal was removed by Tsukune.”

Mrs. Shuzen glanced at Yukari. She withdrew her hand, brushing her fingers across her hair above her ear. She touched the cross clip in her hair.

“Introduce me, child.”

Moka nodded, her right cheek bright red.

“This is my mother, Shuzen Gyokuro. And this is my sister, Shuzen Kokoa.”

The woman did not budge, but Kokoa bowed her head slightly.

“These are my friends, Nazohashi Tora, Sendou Yukari and Kurono Kurumu.”

Mrs. Shuzen reached out to grab Moka by the rosary, yanking her forward.

“So the doll has friends. Are you happy?”

Mrs. Shuzen’s other hand caressed Moka’s left cheek.

“You risked killing the breaker. I've seen you. You can’t run away forever.”

“Mother?”

Mrs. Shuzen released the pendant, drawing back a step.

“Kokoa. You may speak and move freely.”

The young girl instantly brightened up. She stepped over to Moka, not hesitating to push Kurumu back. As Kurumu staggered from the surprising strength behind that shove, the redhead clutched Moka’s hand.

“Happy birthday, Moka! Mother says she might enroll me in Yokai for the second term. I have to pass some test the creepy Headmaster guy wants, but like that would be a problem. This place has to be a joke if your top student is an eleven year old.”

“Hey!”

Moka laughed, throwing an apologetic smile to the fuming Yukari.

“That’s great, Kokoa. Happy birthday to you, too. You’re so much taller.”

“I know. I’m almost to 150. Mother says I will have one more major growth spurt before the end of the school year so I might even catch you.”

Moka smiled, touching her sister’s face.

“It’s so good to see you.”

Mrs. Shuzen clapped her hands, which caused Kokoa to stiffen up instantly.

“Moka. You shall accompany your sister to some place remote where you won’t disturb anyone. Please put in some semblance of effort this time. Last year was embarrassing.”

“But Mother…”

Mrs. Shuzen turned her head slightly.

“Yes.”

“Don’t worry, Moka. I’ll go easy on you.”

“Kokoa. You’ll never awaken your potential holding back.”

“Yes, Mother.”

The redhead darted around Moka, tugging the vampire by the hand. Moka stumbled, but turned and fell in step with the smaller girl.

“I saw a place when we were driving in. It’s across the road.”

Moka managed a smile as she was pulled away.

“I’m sorry guys. Can someone come with me?”

Tora and Kurumu exchanged glances, both taking a hesitant step to follow.

“You may go, Ms. Sendou. I’m not done with these two.”

Yukari pursed her lips.

“Okay. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Shuzen.”

The woman nodded as Yukari slowly retreated. After a few steps, Yukari hurried after the vampires to not lose sight of them, though they were obviously headed down the path that went to the parking lot beyond the small row of trees.

“So then. Nazohashi. The name is familiar.”

The woman beckoned.

“Come closer.”

Tora nervously stepped up to the woman, timidly turning her head aside when the woman reached out to touch her face.

“Calm, my dear. Show me your eyes.”

Tora swallowed, turning her gaze up. Her body quickly tensed.

“Ah, Toku’s daughter. Yes, I do remember you. I’m pleased she took my advice. A favor, for a favor.”

The woman brushed her hand across Tora’s temple, the girl taking in a sharp breath. Her body relaxed as she glanced aside.

“What are you doing?”

Mrs. Shuzen let Tora go, drawing back to regard her impassively.

“I am familiarizing myself with the friends of my daughter. It troubles me to have such a rebellious child, hiding behind a relic given to her.”

She gestured to Tora.

“This one has little to do with my daughter. But you. You’re different.”

Kurumu reflexively backed away when Mrs. Shuzen took a step towards her.

“Why did you come here?”

“I am not here to answer your questions.”

It was not just her hands. The woman was at Kurumu’s side in the blink of an eye. A hand cupped her chin, turning her face. She barely managed to struggle when her eyes were caught up in that gaze again.

“You care for him. Greatly. Relax.”

Easier said than done. Her whole body was so tense she could not breathe. It was red. Everything. It felt like she was sinking. Only the hand on her face was keeping her afloat.

“Ageha’s little girl. Now there’s a name I haven’t seen in years.”

The world came bleeding back into awareness. She clutched at her chest, panting. Mrs. Shuzen stood nearby, glancing aside in thought. Her mind fell back to the same question.

“Why did you come here?”

“You are stubborn. Detrimentally so. I am here to clean up my daughter’s mess. That boy you are visiting required my help.”

“Help? What do you mean?”

“I am not here to answer your questions. He will be fine… provided that doll leaves things alone.”

“You mean Moka.”

“I spoke correctly.”

She gestured to the hospital.

“Protect that boy. Especially from her. I still have need of him.”

Kurumu scowled. She hated this cryptic garbage. As Mrs. Shuzen started walking away, the anger boiled over in her heart.

“Tsukune is my boyfriend! Do you understand?! He’s mine!”

The woman paused. There was no smirk or amused grin. The same cold stare.

“Then take better care of him. Now I must attend to my daughters. Kokoa just turned fifteen yesterday. I have yet to give her my present.”

Kurumu thought of going after the woman but she felt too riled up for that. She wanted to know what was going on. Tora’s hand pressed against her shoulder, tugging her in the direction of the hospital.

“We should leave them be. It’s her family, after all.”

Kurumu gritted her teeth. Family? That was nothing but blatant domineering. Shaking her head, she retreated with Tora inside the building. If that was anything like what Tora dealt with at home, she was starting to think her mother was the nicest of the lot.

* * *

This felt strange. She was so much more aware of her nethers now that all her curls had been removed. It felt warmer, sweatier and weird. It was not like she had a ton of hair to begin with so why did her panties feel so loose? If it had not been at the end of the week, she would have picked something tighter than these white cottons. It was these or the thongs, and those weren’t even remotely comfortable. She may as well have gone without before wearing those silly things.

Stepping up the last of the stairs, she carried her damaged hamper over to the door and set it down. She moved over to the glass door and rapped the back of her hand to catch the attention of one of the boys. She saw a couple unfamiliar faces all the way down towards the end, paying her no mind. She knocked again, noting Yamabato's door was ajar.

She could wander into another person's dream.

Tsukune had been sleeping peacefully during their visit. The attendant had assured her that he had stabilized and should wake up soon. It felt similar to the empty comforts showered upon them last week when Tsukune had remained unconscious long after what his physical condition suggested.

As they waited in Tsukune's room for the others, she had talked quite a bit with Tora about Moka's mother and their families. Unsurprisingly Tora was not that concerned with the relationship between Moka and Mrs. Shuzen. Strictness was not a lack of care.

Moka and Yukari had never joined them. Nearing three, Tora had left for the meeting with Ginei. Shortly after that Ms. Sasayaki had found her and taken her to some chilly, isolation room full of monitoring equipment. After hooking her up to all sorts of machines, the woman had left the room to observe her through those devices in an adjacent room.

It was too awkward to get the stigma in the way Yukari had done last time. She had gritted her teeth, puncturing her lobe with her finger. Though it hurt a lot more, it worked immediately.

She had never been in that world on her own. It was empty. Lonely. Aware she could change her surroundings, she had thought about her room. It had been instantaneous. With passing thoughts, she had moved to her classroom. To Yukari's little apartment. Even to her bedroom in Kengamine.

Nothing had changed. This was simply a memory within her head. An image. A vivid image, betraying things she had not even been conscious of. She could react with her environment. Open her drawers. Rummage through the few clothes she had left behind. It was oppressive and depressing. She did not own much. She had never asked for much. More things meant more money.

She had fled back to Tsukune's hospital room, wanting to see him. Strangely he had been there, sleeping in the bed. Not thinking to question her fortune, she had touched his shoulder. His eyelids had fluttered open.

He had been confused and disoriented. She had been so happy and relieved. She had crawled into bed with him, causing him more distress. She had been dressed only in her undies and a hospital gown, much like him. It had felt so real, pressing against him, cuddling. She had wanted it to last forever.

The dream had abruptly ended. Confused she had called out for Ms. Sasayaki. After redressing and cleaning up, she had been taken to a small consultation room where the woman animatedly talked about her amazing brain activity.

She had only wanted to know a few things. Was she damaging her brain? Not physically. What about all the blood? That crimson puddle turned out to be a mix of blood and some other fluids pumped into her brain through her tail. Ms. Sasayaki theorized it was some sort of catalyst to put her in a euphoric state, though she would have a proper analysis of those fluids next week.

Could she keep doing this? It was likely a normal function for succubi. Was Tsukune okay? Ms. Sasayaki had grinned, letting her know that he had woken up around the same time that she had come out of her stupor.

It had been around five when they had walked home together. Tsukune had no memory of what had happened. He only remembered pulling the rosary off Moka in desperation, realizing Kuyo would kill everyone no matter what he did. She had filled him in on a few things about the restructuring of the student police, their papers being redistributed and that Ginei had created a story about Tsukune being a vampire and defeating Kuyo. That last part worried Tsukune, but she had explained to him that Ginei had been put on the spot and that was the story they had needed to appease Ms. Yoshino.

As they had arrived at the dining hall right around the time it opened, they had eaten dinner before heading to their respective dorms. It had been nice and uninterrupted. She had teased him about dreaming of her when he mentioned an odd dream of her being in his hospital bed. She had warned him about coming over for laundry, refusing to take no for an answer.

On a whim she had showered up and made use of that razor and lotion. She had slipped back into the school blouse and skirt she had worn today, planning to add them to her laundry afterwards. Only her panties were new because she had a few spares. She had not felt like putting the bra back on.

“You know the door isn't going to open itself.”

She smiled, bending slightly to pick her hamper up.

“Evening, Kamitsuku.”

“Your boyfriend is in his room, working on the handouts Tora gave me.”

She sighed, slipping through the door he was holding open for her. She grimaced at the usual stench.

“I thought I told you guys to get some air fresheners.”

Yamabato shrugged, letting the door close. He was wearing a faded pair of jeans and a yellow shirt.

“Thanks for giving those to Tsukune.”

“No problem.”

“I don't know why Tora pushes those on you. He's in our club.”

“It's probably because I sit so close to her. It's convenient.”

She shrugged, starting down the hall. She noted through his open door that Tanboshi and Kinusawa were in there playing a video game.

“We're going to be starting up new articles soon. Do you think your club would be interested in doing more pictures for me?”

“Maybe. I'll ask. I don't get the feeling like we will be that busy until the second term when we try to put something together for the cultural festival.”

“Thanks. I mean that.”

Yamabato chuckled.

“It's no big deal. If anything, I feel like I owe you guys an apology.”

“Why?”

“Well… I bailed on you guys. When things got serious with the student police, I didn't know what I should do.”

“Nobody expected you to do anything.”

“Nobody expected Burumoto to do anything. But he did. So did Tamaishi. What did I do? I just kept my head down, waiting for it to be over.”

Kurumu smiled, setting the hamper down next to Tsukune's open door. She placed a hand on Yamabato's shoulder.

“It's fine. The student police are an authority figure. They were telling people we did something wrong, and the first instinct is to believe them.”

“It still feels wrong. As a man, I should have done something.”

She laughed.

“Don't worry about it. Really. Tsukune would have ducked out of trouble too if he had been given a chance.”

Tsukune glanced aside at them. He was seated on his bedding which he had spread out across the floor. He was holding a folder in his lap while his back was pressed to the wall.

“What about me?”

“The mess with Kuyo and the student police.”

“Don't listen to any heroics she might tell you. I tried to talk my way out of that.”

Kurumu giggled, picking her hamper up. She brought it into his room, aware that Yamabato was following her. She set the basket down next to the linen sack slumped against the closet door.

“I think it's amazing that you guys were able to stand up to them. Everything I heard about the student police was scary. Now it sounds like half of them are being expelled.”

Kurumu nodded, aware of the rumors that had started being whispered in the halls after lunch yesterday. Almost all of the third year student police were absent or had been called in to the faculty and the paper was being returned. Conclusions were being made in the absence of an official statement.

Tsukune shook his head, scrawling something on the paper resting upon his notebook. He was already dressed down in a loose fitting blue shirt and his black sleep pant. She could tell that he had showered by the slight moisture in his hair.

“I just hope that's the end of it. This month has been way too violent.”

“I guess that's the price you pay for hanging out with two of the prettiest girls in school.”

Tsukune rasped out a laugh, shaking his head.

“Life's been pretty easy on you, Kamitsuku? I'll trade.”

Kurumu pouted. She lifted up her foot, slipping the shoe off and tossing it at him. It struck his knee and bounced aside harmlessly.

“You shouldn't make offers like that. I might consider taking it.”

That comment deserved her other shoe. Yamabato laughed, unable to avoid something thrown from such a short distance. The makeshift projectile tagged his upper arm, making a lazy turn in the air before flopping on the floor at his feet. He grinned at her as she crossed her arms about her chest.

“I believe I have some say in this.”

“She's not my first choice, but I'll settle for Akashiya.”

Kurumu rolled her eyes. Sighing dramatically, she touched her breast.

“I'm honored that I'm your first.”

“What can I say? You're more approachable.”

“Moka's nice. It's easy to get along with her.”

“I didn't say she wasn't.”

She smiled, her fingers lingering at the row of buttons on her blouse. She wanted to do their laundry now. She could feel Yamabato's interest in her hands and what was near them. It was much more obvious now that he was not in apology mode. She smirked.

“Yes, I'm not wearing a bra, Kamitsuku. I'm glad you noticed.”

He laughed, quickly glancing aside.

“It's a white blouse and well…”

She giggled, aware that they had become erect. Being this close to Tsukune with her thoughts of undressing had prompted this reaction. His offhand attention was only making them ache, though it was a bit worse now that Tsukune had also taken notice.

“Kurumu!”

“I know you boys look at tits in magazines all the time. It's not that big of a deal.”

She tugged at the top button, wanting to unfasten it but not really wanting the extra set of eyes. Yamabato shook his head.

“A picture and having the real thing within my grasp are much different.”

“I want to do the laundry now.”

Tsukune shook his head, turning his attention back to his notepad.

“Let me finish this worksheet first.”

Kurumu made a shooing gesture at Yamabato. The boy chuckled.

“Have you done your homework, Kurumu?”

“No. And I didn't bring it with, so I'm not going to do it now.”

“Why not? They're not even that hard.”

She shrugged.

“I haven't looked at them. And Ms. Kagome's lessons mess with my after school schedule, so I can't really do them until the weekend.”

“You should do it during last period. That's when I do mine.”

Kurumu smirked at his suggestion. It was not a bad thought, considering most of the stuff talked about in the human coexistence course was either obvious or did not pertain to her.

“Don't you sit in the front row? I'm sure that makes Ms. Nekonome sad.”

“I know Tomisaki and Tobuyoku do theirs. It's not a graded class.”

“Are you going to give me some alone time with my boyfriend?”

He laughed again, taking a couple steps towards the door. He paused.

“I was wondering. That Kano guy that is from your hometown. I haven't seen him all week.”

Kurumu flinched. Tsukune looked up from his notebook. She had known at some point she might be asked this. For most of the week she had simply hoped not to be asked. But after the news from Ms. Sasayaki, she had given it some thought about how to answer this.

“You know how he had to back out of helping with the article, right?”

Yamabato shrugged.

“Not really. He didn't show up.”

“Well… Kano had something important come up with his family. He cornered me on Saturday and was desperate to talk with me.”

“That guy was talking a lot about you last week. Did he confess?”

She winced, glancing aside. She nodded.

“Not immediately. I thought I was doing him a little favor since we had not spoken and it looked like this was going to be his only chance to. You know. Since he had to go home and all.”

Yamabato nodded.

“Did he actually go home? I don't mean to badmouth the guy, but there are guys that will come up with sob stories like that just to get a girl to say yes. It traps the girl because when things suddenly turn out well for the guy, there's not a polite reason to back out.”

That sort of scam had never crossed her mind. It was not the sort of thing to work on her, since she had no issue charming a guy out of whatever silly things they might be plotting. But that was a good warning to pass along to Moka and Tora, whom were more worried about politeness.

“I think he went home. You'll say something if he comes back to club, right?”

“Of course.”

She smiled. Once again she gestured to the door.

“So about that alone time.”

“He's still doing his homework.”

“I can cuddle him while he's working.”

“That sounds like it would be distracting.”

“It is.”

Tsukune leaned back from his notepad, smiling at his friend.

“But I'm used to it.”

Yamabato smirked.

“So how is cuddling with her?”

Tsukune managed a laugh, his face flush.

“She cuddles. I'm busy trying to retain my sanity.”

Kurumu grinned, having crossed the room to push Yamabato towards the door. The boy stumbled, his attention still on Tsukune.

“Out. Find yourself a girlfriend.”

He backed up, laughing as he allowed her to guide him back to the hall.

“It's not that easy. Most guys don't have girls jumping into their laps.”

Kurumu gave him one last push and grabbed the door. She pointed down the hall towards his room.

“Don't peak through the door either. I know when you guys do it and I really want to be alone with him for a change. It's not like your laundry room is private for doing couple things.”

“I thought you were going to do laundry.”

She smirked, shutting the door. Shaking her head, she walked back to her hamper, aware that it was out of the line of sight. She did not sense any interest other than Tsukune's, so she loosened her skirt to add it to the top of the pile.

She glanced at his closet, knowing he had things she could slip into while they did the laundry. She absently undid the buttons of her blouse till the two sides were free. He was not done with his homework, so there was no rush.

“Do you think it's a big deal if we never can kiss?”

“Hmm?”

She turned about, holding the sides of her blouse by the hemline. She regarded his legs with mild interest as she approached.

“Kissing. How important is that?”

She could feel the surge of his desire. She smiled softly as she looked at his hands, one loosely holding the side of the notebook while the other pressed the mechanical pencil to the worksheet. She knelt down on his bedding at his side, letting go of her shirt to place one hand on his knee and the other to timidly touch his forearm. She could tell his body was tense.

“Could you change into something else?”

She turned as she neared, keeping her attention on his paper. Settling on her hip, her knees touched his thigh. It looked like he was more than halfway down the sheet. Judging by the several scratch marks, he was struggling with this algebra. She pressed her shoulder against his arm, tilting her head to rest her cheek on his shoulder. She took in a deep breath.

“If I could be human, I would.”

“I meant clothes.”

“I know.”

She slipped a hand around his back while the other moved to rub his forearm. He relaxed his hand, sighing. He set the notepad and worksheet aside.

“Is something wrong?”

“Does something have to be wrong for me to love you?”

“I… were you told we can’t kiss?”

She nodded, though it was more like she nuzzled her cheek against him. Since he had set aside his mechanical pencil, she slipped her hand from his forearm to his hand. She entwined her fingers in his, taking in another deep breath. This felt warm and comfortable.

“Do you think Moka is okay?”

She shrugged. She had mentioned Moka’s family coming to visit to explain Moka’s absence. She had no idea what the vampire was doing, but it was not like she was worried for Moka’s safety.

“Do you think of Moka more than me?”

He tensed up again. He sighed, lifting his left hand to touch his head.

“I’m worried what she’ll think if she came to visit after we left.”

Why was he still obsessing over Moka? It was hard enough to keep her emotions in check with Nagare being brought up. This was supposed to be their time. They had so little. She sighed.

“Would it be easier if she were here instead of me?”

“I don’t think like that, Kurumu.”

“At least you could kiss her. You could be a normal couple.”

“I was trying to change the subject.”

She clutched him tighter, feeling the pain in her heart.

“You could even become a vampire for her.”

She thought of Mrs. Shuzen’s claim of needing him for something.

“Her mother might even approve.”

“I don’t want to become a vampire.”

“You haven’t met Moka’s mother.”

He twisted in her grasp, forcing her head from his shoulder as he freed his hand from her loose grip. His left hand gripped her by the shoulder as he looked her in the eye. There had been something determined in his gaze before it was smothered by her charm.

Her heart twisted as she bowed her head, pressing it to his chest. A tear rolled down her cheek as she let out a ragged breath. It was not fair. She gripped the sides of his shirt, her body trembling. She just wanted something normal for both of them. If she could not have it, did she have any right to hold him back with her problems? Maybe it would be best for him to be with Moka. He already thought about her so much.

He knelt up, turning as he pulled her in close. His hands cradled her head, fingers brushing through her locks as her cheek pressed to his chest. She sobbed, not knowing if his act was his own or some thought she had forced upon him to give her comfort.

“I don’t want to change for Moka. That’s as silly as when you said you’d change for me.”

“I would. I would do anything for you. I just want something normal for you.”

He laughed, his right hand rubbing down her back.

“When did turning into a vampire become a normal thing? I’m fine with the way things are.”

“Don’t you want a girlfriend you can kiss?”

“Some things can’t be helped.”

She shook her head, feeling wretched. This felt too important to be casually dismissed. He was not thinking about how difficult this could be long term. With her allure and kiss, it felt like any relationship would be impossible. That was why her mother had remained single all these years.

“You don’t understand. There’s this drug in my spit that can change you. It could change anyone. I was just lucky with Takada.”

His hands continue to caress her back and the locks of her hair. He absently tugged at her ribbon, loosening it before pulling the tie that held her hair up in its tail. It did feel better with it falling freely.

“Did you tell the others?”

She shook her head, her body shivering as she felt his fingers push through her unbound hair. She scooted in closer to him, putting more weight on her hip as she stretched out her legs.

“If it’s in your spit, you probably should let them know. I haven’t seen you share any drinks, but it could happen.”

Her body was starting to react to his touch, despite the tears still rolling down her cheeks. She was calming, but it was not like anything had changed.

“It's not just my spit.”

“What do you mean?”

She let go of his shirt, reaching around his torso. She grabbed him tightly, pulling him towards her as she eased onto her back upon the bedding. She was much stronger than him, though he only resisted for a moment. She kept her gaze on his shoulder, aware how loose her parted blouse was. She felt the strength of his arousal and he had yet to notice anything.

She let him go, turning her gaze to the door. She felt no spying eyes. She licked her lips, letting her body relax.

“We can have sex, but you can’t taste it. Okay? My pussy makes a lot more of that drug.”

He had pulled up off her. She could feel it as he finally registered the situation. She drew her hands in, lifting one arm over her head to rest limply above her. The other idly drew apart her blouse so he could see all of her. Her breath became shallow as she felt his lust wash over her. She closed her eyes.

“I thought we agreed to wait.”

She swallowed. She did want to wait, but she felt she needed this. She needed to feel like he was hers, and there was nothing more personal than this. Nothing meant more than this. If she could have this, than all the crap with Nagare would feel so insignificant. Surely he would not chase after Moka anymore if they did this.

She lifted her butt up as she brought both of her hands down to the hem of her panties. She scooted them down to her thighs, lifting up her knees to hook the loose fabric over. It was easy to remove the panties with her feet after that.

“Kurumu.”

She could feel how much he wanted to. She kept still, eyes closed, hoping he would make the next move. She could hear his breath, feel his presence as he lowered his body next to hers. His hand cupped her breast, squeezing gently. His finger and thumb touched her nipple, timidly pinching it.

She mewled, her body reveling in this. Her breasts ached so much as she felt his breath upon them. He leaned in against her, his mouth closed upon her left nipple. She gasped as he swirled his tongue about her tender nipple. He pressed in more, moving his head as he started to suck on it.

She squirmed, resisting the urge to grab him. She whimpered as he moved his head over to suckle her other nipple while his hands gingerly touched her sides. Her left nipple ached furiously, feeling abandoned.

She needed more. She caressed his side while bringing her right hand down to brush fingers through his soft hair. She tugged on him, wanting him on top of her. She drew her right foot up, turning her knee out. She felt her bared folds spread, moist with anticipation.

He freed his mouth from her nipple, breathing heavy. She felt his hand slither down her torso across her navel. His fingers pushed down through her slick folds, rubbing about till he found what he wanted. Two digits pushed up inside her, causing her to wince in pain.

“Tsukune!”

It did not feel right. Her body was overwhelmed with desire but his fingers were rough and big. It hurt. His fingernails felt sharp and she had no control over how they moved. She tensed up, resisting the urge to stop him. She closed her eyes fiercely, knowing she had to get through this. She would become his and everything would be okay. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, hoping he would finally tell her how much he loved her when this was all over. That would make everything worth it.

His fingers fled her aching nethers, her chest heaving with poorly restrained sobs. Her hand covered her face as she felt his sticky fingers brush her cheek. She could smell the sex on them.

“It’s okay, Kurumu. We don’t have to do this.”

She shook her head, reaching for his elbow and tugging weakly.

“Please don’t stop.”

“You’re too pushy, Kurumu. Even to yourself.”

She had to calm herself. She had to stop crying. She had to smile. She had to laugh. She had to be a girlfriend he did not have to worry about.

“It hurt. You know… first time… virgin.”

She could feel his desire smoldering against her. He sighed as he stroked her cheek, breathing hotly across the top of her breasts.

“It’s more than that. It feels like I would break you if we go further.”

It was so hard to steady her breathing. She had to be clear and strong.

“Please, Tsukune. Please take it.”

It’s all I have left to give.

Her throat was dry as tears kept rolling out. She could not muster the strength. She was not good enough. She could feel his desire diminish rapidly as he moved up her body, lifting her by the shoulders to awkwardly press her head to his chest. She clutched to his torso, shifting her weight so it felt more natural.

“Please!”

“It’s okay.”

“I beg you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t leave me.”

“I won’t.”

She cried into his chest, shaking her head. That was not good enough to fill this ache in her heart. She cried for so long that she felt tired, her body lax in his arms.

“Please.”

He sighed, his hand rubbing the back of her head.

“Another time. You are my girlfriend, right?”

She swallowed dryly, nodding her head. It felt hollow, but she knew that was the best she could hope for. Perhaps that was all a whore like her deserved.

“I guess we could do the laundry.”

Tsukune managed a laugh. That was good. At least he felt better.

“I'm sorry, Tsukune.”

With a deep breath, she gave him a bright smile.


	35. First Flight

“There it is.”

The forest path ended in a large clearing of flowers and grass. At the far edge where the foliage ended stood a tall, twisted tree. Beyond this was only the sea and sky, stretching out to the line of the horizon.

“I'm not sure we should do this.”

Kurumu grinned, tugging on the reluctant girl's wrist. Despite her protests, Tora was dressed in a peach halter top to church, much similar to the canary yellow one Kurumu wore. The loose fabric hung over the hem of Tora's black denim capris which clung tightly to her curves. In the mood, Kurumu had worn her denim shorts with the cutout, allowing her tail freedom.

Further down the trail behind them, Moka and Tsukune walked slowly. Moka was in that black blouse with the pleated sleeves she had worn that first Sunday. The faded black skirt fell past her knees to her calves which were sheathed in tan hose. Tsukune had settled on a pair of khakis and a faded green tee.

“It will be fun.”

“Are you sure we won't get in trouble?”

“I heard this was a place for couples. How many couples are going to be out here before the lunch hour on a Sunday?”

There did not look to be anybody out in the clearing. Kurumu stepped free of the forest, feeling the warmth of the sun beating down on her. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of the wildflowers. She let go of Tora's hand, stretching her arms up and out.

He was looking at her again. Last night's image of her naked body in his arms had strengthened his desires for her. As much as he tried to distract himself with Moka, he was paying more attention to her. Smiling, she turned a bit on her side so that he could see her profile better. She placed her hands behind her head beneath her ponytail, deliberately pushing her chest out more.

“You should have worn a bra, Kurumu.”

“You're lucky you can find strapless bras in your size. I wish I could.”

“It's indecent.”

Kurumu shrugged, regarding the slow moving couple. Tsukune had not met up with them until after the service, so he was catching up with Moka. She imagined it was mostly the same stuff Moka had told them at breakfast concerning her family. Apparently her little sister's birthday was only three days after hers.

Despite the stern encounter, Moka was happy about being able to introduce Yukari and the two of them to her family. After playing with Kokoa for about a half hour, she had needed the rest of that hour to recover. She had spent the remainder of the day in Mononoke with Yukari and her sister while her mother went to Yokai for an appointment. Her mother had returned around six to collect Kokoa, share a meal and bid their farewells. For the first time, she had been offered to stay with her family over summer break.

Curious about Mrs. Shuzen's motives, Kurumu had pressed for as much as she could about yesterday. Moka did not know much, but Kokoa had claimed her seal was no longer needed and that Mother was disappointed with her other self for endangering Tsukune. Moka had no idea how Mrs. Shuzen had known about Tsukune, but it was clear that she knew Tsukune could remove the seal.

Kurumu had kicked around a few ideas upon learning Mrs. Shuzen was the current head of Fairy Tale. She let the two know about her meeting with Ms. Nekonome a couple weeks back, and that the Headmaster had been involved in Tsukune coming to the school. It was possible that Mrs. Shuzen had some relationship with the Headmaster. Ms. Sasayaki had claimed that the Headmaster was personally overseeing Tsukune's situation in the hospital. Within a couple days, Mrs. Shuzen shows up. That was not coincidence.

Everything fell in line with something Kurumu had been wondering for weeks now. Tsukune had not ended up in Yokai by mistake. He had been brought here for Moka's sake. And to deflate the way Moka had glowed with that conclusion, Kurumu had quickly clarified it was for the sake of removing Moka's seal.

Moka had asked if they should let Tsukune know about her giving him blood. Tora felt it was not necessary to worry Tsukune, having learned yesterday how potentially dangerous the Rite could be. Kurumu discouraged it because she had no idea how Tsukune would feel about it. With how adamant he had spoken against becoming a vampire, he could be angry at Moka and she did not want that. He might even be angry at her when he found out she knew.

Kurumu had encouraged Moka to let Tsukune know about her theory. It was not that she wanted Moka to do it. She would rather avoid giving him Moka related news that would make him think less of her.

After they finished goofing off here, they were going to go back to the dorms to fetch Zukkutani for lunch. Then they would head over to Yukari’s place, bringing a change of clothes for tomorrow with the hope that Yukari would be fine with another sleepover.

“There’s someone here.”

Kurumu glanced over to where Tora was facing. There was a figure sitting on the far side of the tree. She quickly recognized the striped stockings that were pulled all the way up to the girl’s thighs. She could not imagine there being another girl with that sense of fashion.

“It’s just Shirayuki. Come on. Let’s say hello.”

She started across the field of yellow and red tulips, relaxing her shoulders. There was a slight breeze sweeping in from the sea. She smiled, easing her wings out so that she could feel the wind and warmth upon them.

“What are you doing?”

She wagged a hand dismissively at Tora’s distress. The girl was nervously walking a couple steps behind her, looking back to the others for support. Surprisingly her hair was not up in its usual braid.

“Shirayuki has seen my wings before.”

“We can’t do this here. What if she tells a teacher?”

Kurumu rolled her eyes, thinking Tora was floundering for any reason to not go through with this.

“Shirayuki is the last person I would expect to worry about school rules.”

Kurumu turned, to backpedal a couple steps. She gestured to Moka and Tsukune whom had just stepped out into the flower field.

“Kurumu…”

“Do you remember Shirayuki’s name?”

“No. Don’t you have her in your home ec class?”

“Yea, and you’re her science lab partner.”

Shirayuki had taken note of them, her face turned with a white crystal that sparkled in the sunlight resting on her pale cheek. She had her usual book in her lap while the other held a mechanical pencil. She lifted her hand up to her cheek, touching the end of the white stick tucked in her lips.

“Hey, Shirayuki! What are you doing out here?”

The girl looked back out over the cliff, picking the notebook up. She slowly got up to her feet as they closed the rest of the distance.

“I was starting to wonder if you ever left your room.”

The girl slipped the notebook and pen inside the two sided pocket stitched to the front of her blouse. She brushed the dirt off the back of her plaid skirt and turned to face them.

“Ms. Kurono. Ms. Nazohashi.”

Shirayuki made a slight bow of her head. She started off.

“Hey, you don’t have to leave.”

Kurumu impulsively lunged for the girl’s arm when she passed. Shirayuki turned sharply away, hopping back a step. A wall of ice a meter high instantly appeared between them, as if pulled from the air itself. Kurumu snatched back her hand, afraid the wall might rise even higher. The temperature of the air about her had fallen so quickly she could see the white clouds of her breath. Her skin prickled up with rows of tiny bumps.

Shirayuki brought her hand to her chest, glancing aside.

“I’m sorry.”

Moka and Tsukune were hurrying across the field to them, although it did not take Tsukune long to notice the cold had affected other parts of Kurumu’s body. Considering Tora’s were standing proud, she doubted a bra would have helped. She pushed away his lustful thoughts to smile for Shirayuki.

“It’s okay. Um… do you come here often?”

Why did that sound like a cheesy pick up line? Of course Shirayuki would look at her oddly.

“I come here when I need to clear my head and to be alone.”

She moved a hand to brush the crystal off her cheek. It fell upon the frosted flowers at her feet.

“As I can’t do either, I shall leave.”

“Hold up, Shirayuki. If you need someone to talk to, you could…”

What? Her offer died on her lips as she realized this was a girl whose name she could not even remember. She was only going to say it because in that moment something tugged on her heart. It had nothing to do with Shirayuki.

“You should talk with your classmates more. Make some friends.”

Shirayuki turned her head as Moka and Tsukune joined them. The girl glanced over the two. Without a word, she turned away and resumed walking back to the path that emptied into the clearing.

It did not feel right to call out again. She managed a smile as Tsukune came over to gently touch her shoulder.

“What was that all about?”

“Maybe she got dumped.”

“I wasn’t aware Ms. Shirayuki was dating someone.”

It was the best guess she had and it was not like anyone else would know. She had this feeling that she was the only person Shirayuki had told about it. She recalled her thoughts earlier this week how Shirayuki was always alone.

“Do you still think it was best to leave her out, Tsukune?”

Tsukune withdrew his hand, slowly balling it into a fist. Decisively he took a step back to the path, lifting his hands up to his mouth.

“Shirayuki! I’m Aono Tsukune!”

Shirayuki paused.

“You can join us for lunch whenever you want!”

The girl did not look back. She walked away, disappearing down the trail into the forest.

“I don’t think I’m in the mood to fly today.”

Kurumu snorted, turning on the skittish brunette. She held her hands out to the girl, gesturing for Tora to come closer.

“You weren’t in the mood to start with. Have you ever tried flying before?”

“No! I’ve already told you that.”

“I can’t believe you haven’t tried.”

Tora rolled her eyes.

“I can probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve had my wings out in the past six years.”

Kurumu gestured again.

“Hands. It will help.”

Tora timidly placed her hands in hers. The girl glanced over at the others.

“How will this help? I’ve never seen birds fly while holding… whatever.”

“If you want I can fly you up to the top of a tree and push you out.”

“Kurumu.”

She stuck her tongue out at Moka.

“Is it really necessary that I learn how to fly?”

“I’m sure flying is easier than your barrier thing.”

“I’ve had years of practicing my barrier.”

“And you need to start practicing flying. Let those wings out already.”

Tora glanced down at their hands.

“Do I really need to?”

“Yea… wings kind of help.”

“Go on, Tora. I want to see your wings.”

“Are you sure I need them? Can’t I just focus my energy or something?”

“You mean fly without wings? I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Well it’s not like your flying is normal, Kurumu. The few times you’ve carried me, it felt more like gliding. Your wings don’t move that much.”

She grinned.

“I still need my wings out for that. I’m sure she needs hers out too.”

“It doesn’t look right.”

“What?”

“Tsukune. Do you like Kurumu with or without her wings?”

“I think her wings suit her.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Thinking how cumbersome her wings could be in close quarters, Kurumu smiled.

“I’m sure he prefers me without them.”

“Then can’t we try to fly without them?”

“Are you that worried about the rules?”

“I just want to stay normal, Kurumu.”

Kurumu's heart twisted at the memory of when her wings had first surfaced. How terrifying to have her body suddenly cease being normal. She had cried, begging for her mother to fix it.

Kurumu stepped in, letting go of Tora’s hands to hug the timid girl close.

“It's okay. You came all the way here, dressed for your wings. Ease them out slowly. Yours were a lot thicker than mine.”

“Are you sure we can’t do this without them?”

“If you can, you need to teach me. These things are horrible with bras.”

Tora laughed. Her body relaxed as she let out a long breath. Her tan skin pushed back at the edge of her shoulder blades. Black tips pushed out and the appendage steadily became thicker. The base of the protrusion widened as more emerged, pushing the peach fabric down. There was the slight snap sound which caused Tora to sigh.

“I knew this was a bad idea.”

The wings were fully out, the fabric of her halter top pressed far down in the back. The base of those black wings was huge compared to Kurumu’s. The wingtips nearly touched the ground.

“It’s going to fall out.”

“What?”

“My bra. I must have popped the clip on that last push.”

Kurumu chuckled.

“Moka! We need your assistance.”

“What's the problem?”

The vampire came up to them, smiling. She reached over and brushed her hand against Tora's black feathers. Her other hand touched Kurumu's shoulder.

“They're pretty. Like a raven's.”

“Could you hold something for us?”

“She doesn't have any pockets.”

“We can't just leave it on the ground.”

Tora shifted, slipping her left hand between them.

“I can probably stuff it into mine. Just stand closer.”

“What are you talking-”

The vampire noted the slight squirm as Tora fished her busted bra from beneath her top. Moka promptly stepped in closer.

“Tsukune, look away.”

Kurumu smirked, realizing that would only draw his interest.

“I don't think her wings look bad.”

Flush, Tora quickly tucked the white fabric into her tight left pocket. She pushed more and more in with her two fingers, causing a slight bulge. If the bra had not been ruined by the clips breaking, it certainly was now.

“You're not going to be able to wear that later.”

“I can get a new one.”

Moka smiled, moving her fingers through Tora's wings. She plucked a small, faded gray feather, letting it fall to the ground. Tora made a slight sound.

“Did that hurt?”

Tora shook her head and touched Moka's arm. Kurumu grinned.

“She has feathers like the Tengu. Once or twice a year they have to shed their feathers for new ones.”

She smiled, recalling the time she had groomed Takada.

“I grew up in a Tengu community, so I picked up a few things. I was told it was sort of like scratching their back.”

“It's once a year and it’s called molting. It's annoying and messy.”

“I recall that being a week long process if not more. That has to be more than five fingers worth in six years.”

“I was thinking of times when I didn't need to have them out.”

Kurumu smiled, plucking a dull gray feather free from her left wing. There were quite a few of these things. She did not recall seeing them two weeks ago, though she had not been taking the time to admire Tora's feathers.

“So will this be happening soon?”

“A week or two before the rainy season.”

Kurumu nodded. The rainy season usually started in the last week of May, though it might be later for here since they were further east.

“So how do your wings work?”

Kurumu frowned at Tsukune's inquiry. She flexed her wings.

“Like wings.”

He laughed.

“I meant, well… I've seen you move your shoulders and wings independently. How does that work?”

“They're not connected. Not quite.”

“It's a different muscle near the center of the back.”

Tora stretched her wings out.

“They're like another set of arms.”

Kurumu laughed, feeling that was a decent explanation.

“Though without hands. That's one of the major differences between a harpy and Tengu. Their wings are their arms.”

“I wish I had wings.”

Tora shook her head at Moka.

“You don't. Too much hassle and no benefits.”

“But you can fly.”

Tora frowned, taking Kurumu's hand. She wagged her wings behind her, a couple dingy feathers falling behind her.

“How exactly do we do this?”

Kurumu smiled, thinking back to how she had learned from Takada. She flexed her wings, pushing down to lift her feet a half meter off the ground. She grinned at Tora's confused look as she settled back down.

“How did you do that? There's no strong wind here.”

“I felt a breeze.”

“That's because she moved her wings.”

“You have to do it with a lot of force.”

Tora regarded her dubiously.

“You hovered for a couple seconds with one thrust.”

“And?”

“That's not physically possible.”

She had forgotten a slight step that she did unconsciously.

“You have to make yourself lighter.”

“What?”

“You know how you think yourself human for your form to be human. It's the same concept.”

Tora scowled.

“Then shouldn't I be able to fly without my wings if I make myself light enough?”

“I don't think so. I guess it's more like shifting your weight about to make going up easiest?”

“That's not very helpful.”

“With a couple strong pushes, you can get yourself up high enough to glide. Then you just do it again whenever you feel like you're getting too close to the ground.”

Tora looked up, batting her wings twice but not budging from the ground. Kurumu smiled, recalling how long it had taken her to get the hang of it.

“That's not strong enough. You need to do it harder.”

Tora closed her eyes, clutching Kurumu's hands tightly. She beat her wings faster, causing a slight breeze.

“I said harder, not faster.”

Tora whimpered, slowing the movements of her wings. The deliberate thrusts were not that much stronger than her frantic ones. Her wings were not strong enough for this. She thrust her wings a couple more times, but it looked like she was already tiring out.

“You're not moving the wind at all. And aim down. Lean forward and poke that butt out if it helps.”

“It hurts. Should it hurt?”

Kurumu nodded, recalling how sore her wings had been on her first attempt.

“The first time normally does.”

Tsukune snickered. Ignoring Tsukune's lewd thoughts, Kurumu pumped her wings twice to yank the struggling girl off the ground. Tora cried out, her legs flailing as her wings fluttered uselessly.

“Easy, Tora. I'm just going to take you up so you can practice gliding.”

“Wait! I'm not ready!”

“I'm not going to let you go. Calm down and think about where your weight needs to be. You'll never be able to fly if you put too much in your legs.”

Tora clutched even tighter to her hands, but the girl closed her eyes. Her body relaxed, becoming much easier to manage.

“Use your wings. Try to lift yourself up to me.”

Tora's expression contorted as she flapped her wings. Much too weak as Kurumu could still feel most of Tora's weight. At least Tora had centered her weight properly, making it much easier to carry her.

“I'm going to let you go.”

“Oh God! Please don't!”

“We're pretty high up. I could catch you before you hit the ground.”

“Kurumu! Please don't!”

“Just angle yourself and hold your wings out. You should be able to glide.”

“I can't get myself upright.”

“Center your weight higher. Closer to the base of your wings.”

She could not let go. The girl's grip on her was much too tight. She wanted the girl to try gliding, but she could not adjust things well enough to get Tora properly angled.

“Does that feel better?”

“A little.”

“I think we might need a few more helping hands.”

Tora nervously laughed, glancing about with concern. They were much higher than the trees.

“You're realizing this now?”

Kurumu smiled, aware that Uchiyama from the film club had mentioned a couple harpies. She could check with him or his sister to see if they knew any girls that might be willing to help a first time flier. She needed at least one person to lift Tora's butt up.

“I had no idea you'd be this weak.”

“I told you that I don't ever use them.”

“Shall we go down then?”

“Yes, please.”

Kurumu grinned.

“So how fast do you want to go?”

* * *

Kurumu rested her head on Moka’s shoulder. She regarded the old issue of Hana Yori Dango the vampire was reading, having heard of the title back when she had been in human schools. Upon learning that neither of them had read any of the volumes, Zukkutani had brought several from her collection.

It was about half past seven, but they had all dressed down for bed. Moka was wearing the silky slip she had recently bought. With her seated on the floor, back pressed to the edge of the bed, the fabric held itself up more by Moka’s breasts than those thin straps.

Kurumu had changed into this powder blue, corduroy tank top. It was a hand down from mother, though it was not like she would ever grow into this. It felt nice to wear, despite the frequent slip outs. On a whim, she had decided to wear the black thong.

She liked this song. Lifting her head up, she pulled the tiny speaker out of her ear and pressed it to Moka’s. Her other hand pressed the replay on Tsukune’s thin Sony player he had left with her. She bobbed her head as Ishindenshin started over. She had not heard of Orange Range, but she liked this song. It was not a band Tsukune followed, but his cousin had picked him up this album as a New Year’s gift. He liked some of the songs.

He had left a few other discs with them from bands he liked. Three Dragon Ash albums including that Viva La Revolution she had listened to earlier. A couple albums from L’Arc en Ciel whom she might have heard of, and two others from Spitz.

Tsukune had stuck around with them until after dinner. Despite the many offers to help, Yukari was a kitchen tyrant. She had made the dinner and did the dishes by herself. In that time frame they had settled for playing cards and chatting about nothing and everything.

Before dinner Zukkutani had set up the laptop and they had watched Spirited Away. It was a decent movie, though she felt like the spirits had been strangely drawn. Humans had such weird concepts.

While discussing the odd art choices and if Yukari should invest in a LCD television, Tsukune had apparently forgotten Zukkutani’s ignorance of his humanity. It had only been an offhand remark, but their blonde illustrator had picked up on it and asked him directly.

Tsukune had started to regurgitate the vampire story, but Zukkutani already had her doubts as she had been there when Ginei had reluctantly created that story. She had quickly assured him that it was no big deal and that she knew a lot of humans, having been raised in a human community. Monsters often mixed in human schools, so she thought it was a neat idea for a human to be in a monster school. They had left it at that.

Zukkutani, whom was presently wearing a white shirt with red short sleeves, had confessed to being a dryad. She was sprawled on her belly, regarding her laptop as she wielded her black stylus upon the drawing tablet. She was drawing some panels for her next comic idea, which was blatantly stolen from their story this morning. Apparently her male Tengu character was now fiercely afraid of heights and would not fly. Her legs would kick up on her knees now and then as she moved about with interest in her work. A dark green pair of cotton briefs covered her narrow bottom.

Yukari was seated in Tora’s lap, holding volume twelve of Nana, some series Tora was following but had not gotten her hands on the latest issue. The little girl was dressed in a white and black tee with matching sleep pants and black kitten slippers. She turned the pages with mild interest as Tora meticulously braided the witch's hair.

“Can you bring the rest of these?”

Zukkutani did not react, having her own earpieces hooked to her laptop. She was listening to some songs she had downloaded. It was mostly anime related stuff, though that Driver's High was done by L’Arc en Ciel.

“Hey! Blondie!”

Zukkutani glanced up from her pad. Yukari held out the comic.

“Do you have more of these? I get bored at night.”

“Sure, I’ll bring a couple volumes to school tomorrow.”

Kurumu smiled, putting the earpiece back in. She was not paying that much attention to Moka’s comic. After changing, she had deliberately snuggled up with Moka to discourage Yukari. Finished with the Nana volume, Tora had called Yukari over to braid her hair. Nobody was interested in another night of Yukari’s debauchery.

Several of these songs were forgettable. It was not bad music, but she would not remember how half of these went tomorrow. She skipped to the next song if it did not catch her interest in the first twenty or so seconds.

“You don’t mind if I set up my barrier?”

“Go right ahead.”

Tora hopped up, leaving Yukari to the comic. Tora had a pink and white striped spaghetti string top that was open in the back. Her loose, gray shorts were pulled tight at the waist with black strings that had been tied in a large bow knot. The brunette wandered off to the entryway where they had left all their school things after helping Kurumu with her homework.

Kurumu picked up the CD case as a song caught her attention. This Beat Ball track was not too bad. Not must share with Moka level, but good enough to play through entirely. She noted Tora was spraying the corners with that bottle of hers again.

“What is that stuff anyways?”

“Musk.”

Kurumu felt like she should know what that was. Her thoughts were mixed with things she still had yet to share.

“Like her spit?”

Yukari shrugged as Tora was making her rounds in the closet and bathroom.

“How do you make your musk, Tora? Is it a gland in your mouth or near your genitals?”

Tora snorted as she sprayed once in the bathroom.

“I wish it was from my mouth.”

Oh, this one was nice too. Michishirube. It felt a little similar to that Grateful Days song from Dragon Ash she had liked. She plucked the earpiece and pressed it to Moka. Moka frowned pulling away.

“It’s a good one.”

“Fine, but just this song. I’m trying to read.”

Kurumu smiled, shifting off Moka and resting her left hand on Moka’s shoulder after putting in the earpiece. Yukari got up, her hair tightly braided to the sides of her head above her ears. The witch wandered over to plop her tiny butt between them, causing Moka some distress.

“The bed would be more comfortable.”

“We don’t need Moka falling asleep early.”

Yukari shrugged, lifting the comic up and leaning her head against Moka’s side. With one hand holding the book and the other turning the pages, Moka was spared for the moment.

Tora finished her rounds with a last puff of spray at the corner the bed was tucked up in. She crawled off the bed, closing her eyes to set her barrier. Once that was finished, and realizing her quarry had escaped, Tora settled in on Kurumu’s right side. She put her spray bottle aside and held her hand brush out for Kurumu.

“I’m fine.”

“I could do yours.”

“You can brush, but don’t braid.”

This next song, Hana, was also good. Scooting from Yukari, she reached over to take the earpiece from Moka. She let it hang on her shoulder as she turned her back to Tora. She bobbed her head softly, closing her eyes as she felt the brush start to pull through her hair.

It felt good. When was the last time she had someone else brush her hair? Was it seriously that many years ago when her mother used to do it? She reached over to Yukari, tugging on the girl’s shirt to be closer. The witch smirked as she pointedly leaned against Moka.

She took in a deep breath as she enjoyed the attention while the song played. She moved her head gently, enjoying the soft touch of the bristles against her scalp. It felt like she could drift to sleep like this.

Next song cut in loud, ruining the mood. Sighing, she skipped it and the next one which started weird. The third one was okay. Not as hyped and energetic as the other two. She wondered how long Tora would brush her hair. She could do this for hours. Her eyes opened as she picked up the CD case, noting the song’s name as Papa.

To her pleasant surprise, Tora stopped to drape her arm over Kurumu’s shoulder. The girl leaned in while pulling Kurumu back, resting her cheek on top of Kurumu’s head. Her other hand joined the first in a loose grip. Kurumu lifted her free left hand, rubbing the girl’s forearms.

“Now who’s being clingy?”

“You’ve been this way all week. In places where it’s embarrassing to be given such affection.”

Kurumu smiled, noting that Yukari had placed her comic in Moka’s lap and was now caressing Moka’s right breast. The blushing vampire was trying hard to keep focused on her manga.

“I’m nothing like Yukari.”

She felt that odd sensation again, though this time it was from Tora. The girl breathed in deep, her motions suggesting she had kissed the top of Kurumu’s head. It was so strange.

“I know that.”

Moka had given her this feeling multiple times. Yukari had done it once. She wondered what this was.

“I just want to be closer.”

That way bad things will never happen to me again.

“I really have never been close with any girls before. I never was able to.”

“Is that why you’ve been trying hard to make Ms. Genzouyaki and Ms. Meirowasa your friends?”

Kurumu chuckled. There was no way she could talk dirty around Moka. At least not seriously. It would also be beyond rude to fish for suggestions on things she should do with Tsukune. These were also topics she felt were too indecent for Tora’s proper opinion. Yukari might be cool with it, but what sort of advice could she expect from an eleven year old?

“They’re both good girls. I’m just greedy. Now that I have a few friends, I want more and more.”

Tora laughed.

“Well… don’t spread yourself too thin.”

She had no intentions to. This morning encounter with Shirayuki had helped her realize that. She could not be there for everyone.

Thinking about skipping this next song, Kurumu decided to turn the player off. She had avoided the issue while Tsukune was around, mostly because she did not want him involved in their reactions.

“I did get those results back from Ms. Sasayaki, Yukari.”

The girl perked up, ceasing her efforts to make Moka’s nipple harden through the slip. Interesting enough, the ignored one had.

“It turns out Moka was right. I can’t kiss Tsukune.”

“I half expected that to be a magical contract. I’m intrigued to know there is a scientific explanation for it.”

“I’m sorry, Kurumu. When did you find out?”

Kurumu smiled, wondering how clueless Moka could be. Then again, she had mentioned tests as her excuse not to accompany them with Ginei after the hospital visit.

“It’s not just Tsukune. It’s anyone. I have traces of an addictive drug in my spit. In a sense, it makes people into slaves, wanting to kiss me more.”

“How addictive are we talking about here?”

“She likened it to heroin.”

Yukari nodded, lifting her free hand to cup her chin.

“I wonder if a person could overdose while kissing you.”

“Yukari!”

Yukari shrugged at Moka’s response.

“I guess that means no seven minutes of heaven with Kurumu.”

Kurumu smirked.

“We weren’t ever going to play that game. But yea. In case anyone here was thinking of play kissing me at some point, best not. I guess I got lucky with my first boyfriend, though all we did was press lips on occasion.”

“Is it just your saliva? I can think of a lot of issues if this stuff is also in your sweat. Inhaling something like heroin-”

“It’s not in my sweat. This has no ties to my allure, so it’s safe for me to stand next to you guys on a hot summer day.”

Yukari’s eyes flickered down.

“What about other fluids?”

“Much worse than my spit.”

“Are you two talking about… that?”

Kurumu giggled, thinking the timid Tora had an idea of the subject.

“Yes, I can’t have anyone licking that either. Not that I’d want anyone other than Tsukune down there.”

Moka blushed, having set aside her comic.

“That’s not right. Only married couples should be thinking things like that.”

“Kurumu… did you do anything with Tsukune?”

Tora still had her arms about Kurumu’s shoulders. Kurumu tilted her head back, looking up at the concerned girl.

“No. I’m being an angel.”

“An angel that borrowed a razor for shaving her private?”

Yukari laughed.

“You shaved it?! That makes you the real baby here.”

Kurumu stuck her tongue out at the girl, figuring Yukari was only a sentence away from telling everyone about the two hairs on her coochie.

“Why would you do that?”

Kurumu managed a smile.

“It felt like the right thing to do after last weekend.”

The mischief fled Yukari’s eyes. The girl returned the smile, nodding.

“Should we mention this to Kana?”

Kurumu glanced over to the blonde, whom was still drawing. She was bobbing her head to some tune, her ankles crossed in the air.

“I don’t care if you let her know. I was not trying to keep this a secret. I just wanted to let Tsukune know about it first, before telling anyone else.”

“What is it you guys see in Tsukune anyways?”

Moka grinned.

“He’s nice.”

Tora snorted.

“Nice? Most of the boys in class are nice.”

Kurumu chuckled.

“I guess you could say Tsukune is more polite than the others. Ushio and Kamitsuku are nice guys but I don’t feel the same way about either of them.”

“That borders on what Ginei said about him being so meek. Tsukune stirs my interest as well, because I feel this urge to protect him.”

Yukari giggled, shaking her head.

“As a man, Tsukune would prefer to be the one protecting his lover. This sounds more like how you would treat a child.”

“Tsukune is the most accepting person I have met. He is the first person outside of my family that accepted me as a vampire. Even though he is only human and has every right to be scared of everyone around him, he’s taken it all in and wants to be here. He’s made friends with us and the other boys on his floor. He’s made this work, despite the odds. That’s what makes Tsukune special. He may not be physically strong, but his spirit is pure.”

Kurumu smiled, thinking she might have a couple detrimental things to say about the purity of Tsukune’s spirit, but agreeing with most of that. She shrugged, figuring she may as well add her two cents.

“It helps that he’s cute.”

Tora snorted again.

“He is cute, and I do see your points, Moka. I’m worried about the two of you. I like everyone being friends like this, but I’ve read enough comics to know things could get really bad between you two.”

“You're using comics as a reference?”

“It’s not like I have personal experience.”

“Well… if Tsukune survives the Rite of Ascension and becomes a vampire, he could marry both. That’s within acceptable vampire practices.”

“Tsukune doesn’t want to become a vampire. Besides, I’m not interested in sharing my boyfriend.”

“But you said you can’t kiss him.”

Kurumu smirked at Moka.

“I can do everything else that matters.”

Moka blushed, glancing aside.

“I love Tsukune. I’ve never felt this way towards any boy before. Even my body reacts to him in ways I’ve never felt before.”

Yukari perked up.

“Do you think that could be a biological response?”

“What?”

“Have you ever been around other humans? And I mean after puberty.”

Kurumu shook her head.

“Then we can’t assume your body’s reaction to him is special. It might react that way towards any human.”

Kurumu scowled at that conclusion. Sure, her body had reacted to Tsukune before they had become a couple. Back then she had even considered the possibility that his true form had been to blame. But the idea that her body would behave like this around any human male was preposterous.

“There’s millions of human males. Why would my body react this way to a population that large?”

“Ms. Sasayaki mentioned your kind had a very low population across Japan. That seems strange for a species designed to attract male attention.”

“It’s a low population because my fluids down there contain some stuff that make it hard for me to have babies. She made it sound like it was a miracle for me to even be here.”

“That only makes it more reasonable to assume your body would more actively pursue procreation with human males.”

“She said I was compatible with other monster species. I don’t feel this way when I’m around them.”

“Your body might recognize the human male as having the most potential to succeed in mating.”

“Can you acknowledge this to be an instance of love at first sight?”

Tora settled back down, letting her hands slip up to caress Kurumu’s cheeks.

“What she says is not unreasonable. You can always test out her theory during summer break.”

Kurumu had no idea what she would be doing summer break. There was more chance she would spend the whole month holed up in Kengamine.

“I’m not waiting for summer break to confirm my relationship with Tsukune is special. I know it is.”

“Yes, but wouldn’t you feel better if you knew that your body did not react this way to other humans?”

“Nobody here is telling Moka to run around sucking other people’s blood so she can change her mind about Tsukune’s blood being the best.”

“Well… I’d believe it if Moka told me she was being an angel with Tsukune.”

“That’s not very nice.”

“Have you written your mother yet?”

Kurumu grimaced.

“That’s not related to this.”

“Oh? I think that shows a clear difference between you and Moka.”

“You still haven’t written your mother, Kurumu?”

“I call my parents twice a week.”

“Call? They don’t have phone services here.”

“We witches have our ways.”

They all laughed. Tora stood up first, tugging on the wide strap of Kurumu’s corduroy tank top.

“Come on. Let’s make you write that letter before you mother dies of worry.”

* * *

May 15th

This is the first time I’ve written a letter to anyone. If anything sounds weird, it’s because I have two girls hovering over my shoulder coaching me through this.

I’m sorry. I should have written something a couple weeks ago. I did not read any of your letters till this weekend, and I still have not read the last one you sent. I know you will probably send another letter before you receive this one, because the mail here sucks. I could drop this letter in the post tomorrow and it would not leave here till Friday.

That said, please do not bombard me with letters before hearing a response from me. I know that will make things every other week, but Tora says this would work out much better if we pace these exchanges out.

You should be getting a copy of the paper with this letter. I joined the Newspaper club, which Ms. Nekonome is the advisor for. She also happens to be my homeroom teacher. I’m assuming this is the old friend you mentioned in your first letter, and I’m sure she would not mind you writing her.

As you suspected, things were very busy for me the first couple weeks. I had to join a club, prepare for assessments and find someone to take care of my other needs. It was a rough couple weeks and I ruined a couple uniforms. Sorry about that. I don’t like wasting your money.

I failed a couple subjects so I’m spending my Saturday mornings catching up to where I should be if I ever want to succeed in the human world. I was told I should mention that so you would worry less about what I’m doing with my spare time. These two are also dragging me to church every Sunday morning, so I feel like I have no time to goof off, especially with my nightly tutor sessions with our math teacher.

I feel bad, but I will need to pick up a few more uniforms. I’m sure you noticed the first one I bought to replace what got damaged the first week, but I should have a couple spares for the weekends. I don’t wear my casual clothes much at all, so you don’t have to worry about me asking for the few things I left behind. Some of the clothes that I brought I still haven’t worn this past month.

Since I don’t care to talk about school, I will talk about the club. The newspaper club only had one member in it, whom by default is our club president. His name is Morioka Ginei. At first I thought he was nothing but a troublemaker and it certainly felt like he was trying all he could to make us quit the club. While I don’t know his actual reasons for being such a pain, it did bring the rest of us closer together. I greatly appreciate this, and he has shown us moments of genuine care for the club and for us. I’m sure over time we’ll forget about all the trouble he put us through and we can become as close of friends as I feel with the rest of the group.

I should also mention our newest club member, whom joined late due to personal reasons. Her name is Zukkutani Kana. She’s an artist with a love for manga and anime. We’ve only known her for a little more than a week, but she seems nice enough. If you don’t understand the humor in her short comic strip featured in the paper, don’t worry. We don’t understand what is going on in that empty head of hers.

The girl that puts everything together for us and keeps Morioka focused on his club duties is Nazohashi Tora. This girl was reluctant to join our club but has been a lifesaver. While the rest of us were dealing with crazy school things, she helped Morioka handle the sponsors and acted as our liaison with the student council and the disciplinary committee. I think things would have been much worse for us without her. There’s no way we could have put out this paper as quickly if things had been left in Morioka’s charge.

Tora also happens to be our class rep. She likes to do everything proper and by the rules, which often annoys me. She’s a complete coward when it comes to conflict, but pulls through for us if someone gives her a push. Ms. Nekonome told her on the first day to keep me out of trouble, so I’m doing my best to drag Tora into as much trouble as I can find.

The other one pestering me on my word choice is Akashiya Moka. She’s a sweetheart. She’s from my class and has a crush on my boyfriend. She’s mad that I wrote that, but it’s true. I try to be extra nice with her, waking her up most mornings and keeping her company at lunch. She’s such a sleepyhead. She goes to bed early and is slow to get up. She joined the club with us because she doesn’t know anybody else in this school.

Despite how smart she is, Moka is an airhead. She seems to be completely unaware how gorgeous she is, which I guess makes her a bit unapproachable. She’s also shy, but very accepting. For instance, Moka is terrible at meeting new people on her own, but she is quick to become friendly with them. She’s already on a first name basis with Zukkutani.

Another issue with Moka is that she is a vampire and has hidden this fact poorly. Not that I have done a good job at hiding my true form. We kind of had a fight that first week over my boyfriend which got the rumors spreading about the school fast. So a lot of boys don’t approach either of us. Since I have my boyfriend, this is not an issue for me, but it does leave Moka out.

At first I was being nice for his sake. He felt bad for picking me over her, and she has nobody else. But I feel like I have done more with Moka than him. I could say that I love her more… as a friend. If I had not started feeling this way with Moka, I doubt I would have ever tried to put forth the effort to be a friend with these other girls.

The last little lady in our club is the genius granddaughter of Lord Sendou. I believe he was a teacher when you attended school here. Right now our eleven year old Yukari is reading a manga for high school girls. According to Tora, it’s a mature comic that might be inappropriate for a normal eleven year old girl.

As her name precedes her, Yukari has taken the odd approach of flaunting her status as a witch. This caused a bit of trouble with her class which we ended up helping her with due to her fixation on Moka. In gratitude, she joined our club, though I’m sure she was thinking about it beforehand since it meant more time with her Moka.

I think Moka represents everything Yukari wants to be. They’re both smart. Even Tora is smart. Kind of makes me sad being the only idiot in the group. But I did say Moka is gorgeous and I meant that. She’s easily the second best looking girl in my class, maybe even the entire grade. That’s something that Yukari envies. I suspect if I had been smarter, like top ten percent, then I would have been the one idolized.

Okay, Tora reminded me that I’m short and Moka is quite a bit taller. So there’s that too. Yukari really hates being treated like a child, so I guess I would still fail to meet her height expectations.

I’m writing this letter in Yukari’s private suite. As a special child, she is living apart from the rest of the freshmen. Yukari doesn’t try to get along with most people. She adores Moka and tolerates the rest of the club. Still I feel like she cares a lot about me and my boyfriend. She pushes me more than anyone else to figure out what it means to be a succubus and how everything works. You know, the things I would ask you about and you rarely answered. I get some of that now. Knowing doesn’t necessarily make things better.

I love that little brat. I appreciate the things she has done for me, and how much she has helped me through difficult times. She’s done things that I don’t think Moka would have the heart to do. Maybe that’s what I see in Moka. I see you.

Now I’m sure you’ve been on the edge of your seat, wondering about this boyfriend I have been writing about. I’m sorry, Mom. It’s not a teacher. Maybe if I had been desperate to find someone, anyone, and a teacher had approached me… maybe I would have gone that route. But I found someone better. Someone that I hope will stay with me for the rest of my life.

This would be the last member of the club, Aono Tsukune, whom is also in our class. I don’t have a picture of him to send you, and it seems we forgot to add our photos to our first paper. That’s an oops that we plan to fix in our next edition, which I will send you.

You might be wondering what sort of boy would a vampire and a succubus fight over. Moka has not had a good track record with people whom she has told her true form to. Most would not be her friend, whereas Tsukune was thrilled with the prospect of being friends with a gorgeous, young woman. You see, Tsukune is not a powerful monster, so his ego was not threatened while standing in the face of one of the most powerful creatures in the spiritual realm.

I did not realize how weak Tsukune was. Again, Moka is terrible at hiding her true form, so I was concerned she might kill him. Before I knew it, I was willing to do anything for him. So I put him on the spot and he agreed to be my boyfriend. It’s been awkward at times, but it’s much different than when I was dating Takada. I’m not using my charm.

I know you’re not thrilled with the idea of me choosing a guy that can’t protect me. You’re probably wondering what kind of monster he is. I’m going to leave that fact out, because it doesn’t matter. I will be fine. I can take care of myself. And I will be extra cautious, knowing I don’t want any harm to befall Tsukune.

I would write more about Tsukune but I have a jealous vampire standing over my shoulder. She seems to disagree with my statements about Tsukune, but I’m being realistic. Tsukune is a healthy young man and Moka is gorgeous. Even if she’s a vampire, I’m surprised she doesn’t have more outspoken admirers. I know Morioka was quite taken with her.

I do have a couple more friends outside of the club. There’s another girl from our class, Genzouyaki Nerume, whom I talk with time to time. She’s another idiot that bombed the assessments, so it’s nice to have someone else on my academic level. She’s often with her friend, Unari Satsuki, whom is from Yukari’s class. We spend our Saturday mornings together.

There’s another girl, Meirowasa Tokori, whom I share home economics with. She’s a local and I just have this feeling of wanting to know more about her. It can’t really hurt. There's also Shindou Asuka and Taijin Yuu, whom are her station partners. It was Shindou's pushing that had me write that track article, since both her and Taijin are on the team. We also have a silly drunk girl, Sakamori Hinoko, whom tries her hardest to make every home ec project we do a challenge.

I probably don’t even sound like the girl you lived with the past three years. I was never friends with the girls and now that’s all I’m talking about. Since when does a succubus need girls as friends?

I do know a couple guys from our class. There’s Burumoto Ushio, whom helped me out of a bad situation in the first week. We don’t talk much these days, but he’s still nice. He’s convinced me to do an article on his soccer team next and he’s obsessed with seeing me as a cheerleader. Then there’s Yamabato Kamitsuku, whom is part of the film club that helped with all the photos for my article. He lives on the same floor as Tsukune and keeps an eye on him for me. I know a couple other boys on Tsukune’s floor, but not by first name.

I guess that’s it. I don’t really know anyone else on a first name basis. There is Kakeru Chisa and her friend Goto Tama, but I know them through Nerume. They’re more like acquaintances.

There’s one last person from our class that I feel I should mention. Ms. Nekonome said this girl was the daughter of a friend of yours. I don’t recall her first name, but perhaps you would remember a Shirayuki. I guess it depends on if her name changed when she remarried. If you don’t remember, it’s no big deal. I think you should write to Ms. Nekonome about it. I don’t really know if you would feel good about me pursuing a friendship with this girl. If I had less friends, I wouldn’t bother asking and you would have to deal with my decision. But I do have my hands and heart full right now, so I’m not going to chase this one if you feel I shouldn’t.

Thank you.

Thank you so much for sending me here. I know that sounds late from an ungrateful daughter, but if I had written to you two or three weeks ago, I would have still been too angry to appreciate this gift you have given me. I feel like I can finally put the past behind me and move forward.

So thank you. I love you.

Don’t expect another long letter from me next time. I only have this much content because I’ve been saving up a month’s worth of stuff. And don’t doodle on your letters that you send to me. You’re my mother, not my little sister. How can I show these things to my friends? It’s weird.

Take care of yourself.


End file.
